What We Are Continuation
by moonstruckgirl15
Summary: ADOPTED FROM Iamabotticelli.  This starts with botticelli's story until chapter 23 and then my chap 23 and onward.  Hope you like my version.  Rated T, I think.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm back with more chapters. I'm replacing my first chapters with botticelli's so don't freak if they don't show up. I think we all owe the biggest freaking thank you ever to botticelli for being kind enough to give her chapters. This is her first chapter obviously.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own chapters.**

What We Are

Chapter 1: Seeing Things Differently

Zoey POV

I groaned to myself as I flopped onto my bed. It had been one hell of a day. Those creepy raven mockers had targeted my Grandma and now they were cawing away outside; probably gloating about their victory. I stuffed a pillow over my head so I didn't have to listen to them. That meant I didn't hear the knock on the door or hear it opening and closing. So you can imagine my shock when somebody placed their hand on mine. Stiffening, I slithered out from under the pillow just enough so I could see who was there. It was Aphrodite. And even more disturbing was her expression. She looked concerned. Now for all of you who haven't had the, dubious, pleasure of meeting Aphrodite lets set one thing straight. She doesn't do concern or empathy, in fact she is practically allergic to the whole spectrum of human emotions apart from possibly contempt and disgust. As soon as she saw my face, the concern melted and was replaced with a sneer of sarcasm I knew and hated.

"Zoey, even your makeup isn't that bad"

I just stared at her. My grandma was lying in hospital, in a coma. I wasn't capable of processing any of Aphrodite's wise-ass comments. I put the pillow back over my head and gave it a punch before curling up in a ball and hoping that Aphrodite got the message and left. I should be so lucky. Instead of her leaving, I felt the mattress dip and a warm body sit down next to me. I just carried on ignoring her but then she started playing with my hair. It was the kind of absent minded fiddle that people did when they were thinking. I was going to be here a long time then. Wait, that's not fair. Aphrodite may be way annoying at times but she's not dumb. She's actually really smart and I suppose now that I look back at it, her comment was kind-of-maybe-possibly funny. I removed the pillow for long enough so that I could say

"Sorry". The hands playing with my hair stopped for a moment and just for a moment I wished she'd continue playing. It was…restful, in a weird way.

"Sorry for what? The make-up disaster?" she asked.

"No, I'm sorry for overreacting" I muttered through the pillow.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said through the pillow" Aphrodite said while using the tone reserved for people with hearing impairments and pulling at the pillow to make her point. I tried to fight back but darn it, she's stronger than she looks and soon she had claimed my pillow. I glared at her and tried to grab my pillow but she held me down quite effectively.

"I'll give you the pillow back if you repeat what you said" Aphrodite was grinning at me. I debated fighting her but then decided she would win so it was with a sigh of defeat I mumbled,

"I'm sorry for overreacting" A flash of surprise crossed her face but she handed me the pillow back and let me curl up again.

"I'm surprised you didn't put up more of a fight" Her hands continued to play with my hair but they were moving closer to my head, tucking hairs behind my ears and pulling out the hair that had amassed around my face because of the pillow-hugging. She was very gentle and her movements lulled me into a kind of half-sleep. My grip on the pillow slackened and I let it fall away, unconsciously moving closer to Aphrodite. I watched her long and elegant fingers and as they danced closer to my face, I could feel her pulse and smell that beautiful scent of blood just a centimetre away from my face. It was with difficulty that I turned over and looked at her. She was leaning casually on one elbow, blond hair falling down in a mass of waves and her eyes were watching me intently. She was beautiful. I mean, I knew she was beautiful before but this was a different type of beauty. The kind of beauty that makes me want to reach out and touch her to see if she was real. I know this is going to sound crazy, especially since this is Aphrodite I'm talking about here, but in that moment of time, she looked like some kind of angel. My brain must have been even fuzzier than usual because the next thing I knew, I was snuggling into her even more than before until my head was by her elbow and her face was above me. She didn't even flinch. She just kept dancing her fingers along me and even my bloodlust faded in that peaceful bubble of calm. I tried to stay awake but sleep claimed me and Aphrodite's face was the last thing I focused on before the darkness surrounded me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Dream and a Realisation 

Zoey POV

_I was walking through a forest in winter. Icicles caught the last of the dying sunshine and threw it back a thousand times brighter. Snow covered the trees so even the evergreens that carried the hope of spring were covered. There was a noise behind me and I started running. I ran and I ran until I spotted a clearing ahead. For some reason my dream-self was drawn to the clearing like she wanted to run from whatever was behind her but not lose them completely in the mazelike forest. It was almost like I was playing with whoever was behind me. Bursting into the clearing, I looked for some place to hide but even then I felt no fear. I heard the noise again and I turned and tripped over my own feet. After I had fallen, I heard laughter and somebody said_

"_When you said you'd fallen for me, I didn't think you meant it literally" _

Jerking awake, I looked around. I recognised that voice. It was Aphrodite's! Speaking of Aphrodite, where was she? She'd been here before I fell asleep but she wasn't in here now. Sitting up fully, a blanket fell off me and I saw my head had been placed on a pillow. Who knew she cared?

Looking at my alarm clock, I saw that it was nearly time to get up anyway so I decided to go and track Aphrodite down. I walked down the hall but just as I was about to knock on her door, it swung open and standing there, looking just as surprised as I felt, was Aphrodite. She recovered first and grabbed me before dragging me inside. She quickly shut the door and then looked at me, with an expression on her face that clearly said 'Well?'

"Thank you for being nice last night" I mumbled, looking at the floor.

"You're welcome" she muttered back at me. Neither of us said anything and an awkward silence fell. I suddenly remembered the words the dream person had said to me. Fallen for her? Why would I ever say that to Aphrodite? I gave an internal groan and just hoped the dream wasn't a fore-telling of some kind. I mean me and Aphrodite? It'll never happen but then why do I feel regret?

I was jolted from my musings as Aphrodite laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright? Because staring out into space is _so _not a good look for you" I look up at her and even though I could hear the sarcasm in her tone, her eyes convey a different emotion. My eyes are welling up and I can feel tears falling. I brush them away and turn saying

"I'm fine" before reaching out for the door and just as I was about to step through it, Aphrodite grabbed me and spun me round.

"You're not alright and since you're not alright, you aren't leaving my sight" the firmness in her voice surprises me. She is never this caring twice in a row. That just tips me over the edge and I start crying for real now. I can feel her pulling me over to the bed and she all but drags me down with her. Then she hugs me with an intensity I didn't know she was capable of. I hug her back and bury my face in her shoulder. Aphrodite smells really nice. She smells of perfume and spices and a scent I can't identify but it reminds me of how grandma smells when she hugs me. It's like she smells of home. I wish this hug could go on forever but I can feel my eyes drying so we've run out of time. I pull back and look at her and at that moment in time her lips look very inviting. I lean forward and she leans forward too. All I can think of is how beautiful she is. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice is saying I shouldn't do this, Aphrodite is my friend and this will ruin our friendship. I ignore it and lean forwards even more. Our foreheads are now touching and I'm looking deep into her eyes. She's looking at me too and for just a second our lips brush. It's like somebody has thrown a match onto petrol. Desire races like wildfire through me and I deepen the kiss. She doesn't pull away; in fact she is pushing me down onto the bed. I turn her over so I'm on top of her and kiss her more deeply than before. My lips work their way down her neck and as they hover over her arteries, I can feel the blood rushing and her pulse beating. It's too much for me so I try and pull away but Aphrodite pulls me back again and whispers

"It's alright. I don't mind. Go ahead" I look up into her eyes and I can see she means it. My lips return to her neck and my teeth lightly graze her skin. Blood wells up and I drink it. Her blood is so much tastier than Heath's. It's like liquid gold or nectar. My sucking intensifies and I can hear her moan slightly. I can feel emotions building inside me and suddenly my imprint with Heath breaks and I can feel a new one forming. Aphrodite's feelings surge through my mind and she is feeling exactly the same way I am. The imprint strengthens and becomes even stronger than the one I used to share with Heath. Stopping the sucking of her blood, I close the wound with a light flick of my tongue. Aphrodite moves over slightly and I lay down next to her. I have a feeling that things are a lot more complicated now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Friends and Enemies

Zoey POV

I honestly don't know how I made it through the day. After me and Aphrodite imprinted we decided to go to classes as normal so nobody would be suspicious. All the way through the classes, all I was aware of was her and what she was doing. At lunchtime we sat next to one another outside and chatted quietly. Our friends gave us a few strange looks but they left us alone although the twins had a look in their eyes which said that this was not the end of it.

After Lunch, the rest of the school day passed much as the first half had. In equestrian studies, I did jolt out of my mental haze so I could take care of Persephone. After all, she didn't deserve to be mistreated just because of what was happening between me and Aphrodite. I wasn't even aware that the bell had rung but I could feel Aphrodite coming closer. She walked into the stable and came to stand just outside Persephone's stall. I finished with Persephone and put everything away, Aphrodite just waited calmly for me and when I was done we walked back to the dorm. We grabbed some snacks from the kitchen and headed to my room.

As soon as the door shut behind us, we dropped the snacks and practically threw ourselves at each other. When we hugged, every part of my skin touched hers and as we kissed I felt the same elation I had felt last night. I didn't even think about Erik or Heath, she was the only one that mattered.

Suddenly the door burst open and I heard some shocked gasps. I pulled away from Aphrodite and there, standing in the doorway, were the twins. They came inside and shut the door hurriedly. Silence fell while Shaunee and Erin just stared at us. They looked like somebody had just hit them with a hammer. Aphrodite rose to the challenge and said coolly,

"Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to say something?"

Shaunee shook herself before replying,

"You two were acting strange all day but how long has this been going on?"

"Yeah because from what we saw just then, it looks like it's been a while" Erin chipped in.

I groaned. This was not good. They looked like they had lost all trust in me, again. Luckily Aphrodite was capable of replying.

"Actually it's only been 'going on' since last night when we imprinted" That shook them up just as much as the Aphrodite-and-Zoey-kissing bomb.

"Im-"

"-Printed?" they said together. They both looked at me and I nodded.

"But what about that cute boy you'd already imprinted with?" asked Shaunee.

"It broke when I was with Aphrodite" I could see their minds churning over the word 'with'.

"She means when she drank my blood, dorkamese twins!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes and the twins looked slightly reassured.

"Z, we need time to think. Do you mind if we go?" asked Erin, nervously.

"No, I don't mind." The twins nodded and left, closing the door behind them. Aphrodite hugged me and we fell onto the bed. Lying here with her, like this, felt right. Through the bond I could tell that Aphrodite felt the same way.

"What do you think they'll do?" I asked her quietly. She released her breath in a huge gust and said, just as quietly, "I don't know"

"Aphrodite, I'm scared and not just about the twins. About Neferet too. If she finds out about this then she'll use you against me"

"Zoey, it's too late to do anything about this. We're imprinted and even if we weren't I wouldn't leave you, you know that"

"I know. You're stubborn like that" I said, smiling at her. She leant over and kissed me lightly. At the window there was a cawing sound and I turned just in time to see a flash of black feathers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for changing the 4th chapter but since a few people had commented on how fast it had progressed, I thought it would be best to change some things. **

**I DON'T OWN HOUSE OF NIGHT OR ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO IT. Wish I did though. **

Chapter 4: Panic and Pain

Zoey POV

I jumped up and ran to the window but I was too late. Whatever had been there before was long gone. Panic and fear writhed and boiled throughout my entire body. It must have been a raven mocker. Nothing else could have disappeared so fast. Sightlessly I gazed into the deep onyx depths outside my window and silently cursed to myself. I'd only just realised how much I liked Aphrodite and now she was in danger? Because of me? I looked up but there was no moon tonight. No light to ease the darkness. _Nyx, _I thought, _what can I do? It seems that every time something good happens, the bad isn't that far behind. Why can't I just be left alone for a few days? Is it too much to ask?_ I listened but I didn't hear an answer. Suddenly, warm arms wrapped themselves around me from behind and Aphrodite breathed on my neck. I could feel her worry and pain. In the background I could hear a faint noise, a whispering voice carried by a breeze. _Don't worry Zoey. We can do this. Nobody will mess with us, I promise. _It wasn't Nyx's voice though, it was Aphrodite's. I turned round and hugged her with all my strength. Did she know how beautiful she was to me at that moment? I doubt it but the imprint got the general message across and she blushed. Wait, Aphrodite blushed? Wow. I think that under the ice-queen persona, Aphrodite may actually be a bit of a softy. It's kinda sweet. I wish Grandma was here. She'd be happy to see the 'real' Aphrodite I think.

"Zoey, I know that this is hard and that it's just not fair but trust me when I say that, even though I haven't had a lot of time to spend with you, I wouldn't change anything that's happened; not becoming friends with you nor joining the 'nerd herd'" She rolled her eyes at the last part and leant her forehead against mine, bringing our lips closer together. "I wouldn't even change this imprint or getting together with you" she whispered softly. Our lips skimmed each others delicately and a new, softer, feeling crept through me. It wasn't a raging inferno like yesterday but it was similar to a warm blaze that you warmed yourself by on a cold winter's morning. I know, I know, that's kinda sappy but hell, that's what it was like. As we kissed, Aphrodite skilfully moved us backwards until we fell on the bed again. She a girl of many talents, I'll admit.

We settled back on the bed and wrapped our arms around each other. Sure, things were bad, but as I'd said earlier to Nyx, even though bad things happen something good always comes after. Okay, I know I didn't say it exactly like that but cut me some slack here, alright? 

**Yeah, yeah. I know it's a short chapter. I promise to make the next chapter bigger. PLEASE REVIEW! Constructive criticism is welcome and if you must 'flame' me go ahead. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Pretensions and a Watchful eye

ZOEY POV

As much as I would've liked to have stayed with Aphrodite just then, we both had homework to do. She went off to her room to grab her books and I decided to check my texts. I had a few. Most were from Heath and I couldn't help wincing when I read them. Especially the last one:

_Hey Zoey,_

_You haven't answered me back or called so obviously you don't care that you ripped a part of my soul out. Have a great life,_

_Heath_

I don't think he's gonna forgive me for this mistake and damn it, I'm not gonna ask him too. Hell, Heath's had to put up with my crap for ages. It'd be better for him to find himself someone normal; someone who's not a bloodsucking freak. I work my way through the messages he left, deleting every single one of them, before I finally erase his number from my contacts list. I turn off my cell and Aphrodite walks through the door carrying a stack of books. This is going to be a long night.

Next morning, I wake up to a blaring alarm and sit up. Aphrodite, who's lying next to me groans and drags herself to a sitting position. She stayed the night in my room! Oh crap, now the twins will definitely think I'm sleeping with her! I know I slept _with_ her but I think they'll jump to the other definition! Cutting through my mental rant, Aphrodite turns around and kisses me again. She leans back and whispers in my ear, "I don't care what they think" She then gets up and walks out, swaying her hips slightly more than she normally does. I think she did it on purpose. Aw, hell, I _know _she did it on purpose and damn it, I'm starting to come around to her way of thinking.

Anyway, when I got downstairs the twins were staring at me, I saw a flash of blonde hair and somebody who looked suspiciously like Aphrodite entering the kitchen. I really hope she didn't say anything to them but this is Aphrodite we're talking about here. I sat down opposite the twins and waited patiently for them to speak.

"Zoey, you know-"

"-we may have changed our minds about the hag you're exchanging saliva with" they said.

"Why? What did she do?" I asked them, suspicion rising.

"Me? I'd never do anything to your friends!" said a hurt voice from behind me. I turned around and there Aphrodite was. Although she looked upset, the imprint carried across a lot of amusement. She'd only been gone a few minutes, what could she have done? I turned to the twins and they were both smirking, evilly. Just then Damien came rushing in and said excitedly, "Hey, did you guys see Erik? He's covered in some kind of goo! He said it happened over here!" I turned to Aphrodite and looked at her. She tried, and failed, to look innocent.

"Did you at least get a picture?" I asked her with a sigh.

"Hell, yeah!" replied Erin, waving a camera in the air. This is _so _going to come back and bite me in the butt in Drama today. Luckily, I didn't have to go to my lesson with the evil and very creepy Neferet because Shekinah called me to her office. I just wish she could have called me during Drama. So, when I reached her office I was just about to knock before a voice from the inside cried

"Enter!" How does she do that? I walked in and Shekinah greeted me with a warm smile. "Hello, Zoey. I just wished to ask you a question"

"Of course, ma'am. What did you want to ask me?"

"I know that it has been a bad time for you recently but I wished to ask you that if tonight you would be willing to perform a ritual" She smiled again and warmth seemed to shine off her.

"Yes ma'am. I would love to perform a ritual"

"Good, good. It will be a cleansing ceremony by the east wall. There have been evil acts done there and it is a place of great power that could easily be turned against us" As she said those last words, a shadow seemed to fall over her face and the room somehow became darker and colder. She shook herself and said goodbye to me but before I left she asked me another question.

"Zoey, has Neferet ever displayed any odd behaviour?" She hesitated over the word odd and I had a feeling that maybe she had seen the evil and mucho creepy Neferet I had come to know and despise. But I needed to clarification so I answered,

"When you say odd, do you mean slightly… evil?" The look in her eyes before she hastily replied told me everything I needed to know. She hurriedly bid me farewell and I headed to my second lesson wondering what Shekinah had done to crack Neferet's oh-so-perfect persona. I hope Shekinah doesn't get hurt by what I'm going to do tonight. It's time to finally 'out' the red fledglings although outing myself to Stevie Rae will be hard. Especially since she got all he-man when she thought Aphrodite was taking her place. Well, whatever happens, I'm going to need her tonight. I just hope we stop Kalona and his creepy bird-men in time or else the world's gonna pay.

**AN: Hi everyone! I need to ask you something. Please just reply in reviews to this question. 'Should I write down a confrontation between Erik and Zoey?' Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and if you could please suggest any sub-plot idea's or what you want to happen next, I will be more than happy to read them. I'm sorry this wasn't very long but next time; I'm aiming to get over a thousand words! Bye and thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Erik

ZOEY POV

After the meeting with Shekinah, I hurried to my next class and kind of pushed the whole 'Erik is going to kill me' issue aside. BIG MISTAKE. At least he didn't do anything in Drama but as I was leaving he told me that he would talk to me later and he added an I'm-going-to-kill-you-and-bury-your-body-where-no-one-can-find-it look as he was saying it. Not good. Not good at all. So, after being freaked out by Erik and hoping the earth would swallow me for the rest of the day, I headed to the stables for my favourite lesson of the day. When I got there, I went around, doing my normal duties before brushing Persephone and cooing over her for the rest of the lesson. I swear that horse gives off some kind of calming gas and I actually managed to forget about Erik for the rest of the lesson.

After the lesson had ended and Lenobia had bid me farewell, I was walking back to the dining room when Mr Sunshine himself stepped out onto the path in front of me. Yep, that's right folks, the showdown between Mr Night and Ms Redbird was about to begin! Okay, I know I'm overloading the sarcasm but seriously, I am so dead.

"Zoey, we need to talk" He said quietly.

"I know so why don't you tell me what you want to tell me and get it over with?" I asked him.

"You're with Aphrodite"

"Yeah, I know"

"Why? Why are you with that, that _whore_" He was shaking with anger now and I was about to join him. How dare he call Aphrodite a whore!

"Don't you dare call her that! You know nothing about her!" I screamed at him.

"I know _everything _about her. I dated her for months and she spread her legs to every guy that came along!" I walked forwards and slapped him. It was a loud _smack _that echoed through the tree's that surrounded us.

"Aphrodite is a better person than you are" My voice was filled with venom and I just wanted to hurt Erik.

"How is she a better person than I am?" he yelled, incensed.

"Because she knows that she has done bad things and is trying to make up for it! You're just a possessive jerk that can't get over the fact that I'm no longer with you and that I love her!" After those last few words we both stood in shocked silence. Erik's hands started to twitch and I backed away slightly. There was no telling what he'd do now that I'd finally pushed him over the edge. He took a step towards me and I backed away again. His fists clenched tightly and small drops of blood dripped down his hands from where his fingernails had dug in.

"You, you, SLUT! You _love _her? What about me? The boy you dated and cheated on! I put up with Heath because I know that wasn't you fault but now _her_? That bitch?" He started to laugh, a cold laugh. I stepped back again but I tripped and fell to the ground hard. Erik took another step forward and I shouted

"Water! Cool him down!" The water in the air immediately condensed and soaked him. He breathed heavily and I scrabbled further away. He took another step forward but just as he was about to do something, anything, a cold voice rang out from behind me.

"Stop there, Erik Night" A hand reached down and squeezed my shoulder. I looked up and saw Lenobia standing over me. Relief coursed through me. Lenobia was here! She'd help me!

"You have scared my favourite student and you are very close to doing something you will regret later. Leave or suffer the consequences" Wow, she sounded mad and she looked absolutely furious. I'm sure glad that I'm not Erik right now. I looked back at Erik and he gazed at me unseeing for a moment, before bowing to Lenobia stiffly and walking away. I sighed in relief and gazed at his retreating back. This wasn't over between us, I could sense it. The enormity of what just happened hit me. Erik, Superman-look-a-like, Star Wars loving, Erik had almost attacked me and it was my fault. I felt myself shake with the release of tension and I curled up on the ground, forgetting about Lenobia. Through the imprint, I could feel Aphrodite hurrying towards me. She was filled with worry and pain at the idea of me being hurt. Lenobia knelt down next to me and whispered comforting words in my ear. I didn't really hear what she said; reality seemed to have faded and I just kept replaying the argument in my head. '_Slut! You love her? What about me?' _I couldn't get the image of how ugly his face had become out of my head. His words bit into me and I felt my soul shivering over the pure torture of it. I made him like that. I made Erik Night, all around good guy, go crazy with angry. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around me and I could tell it was Aphrodite. I turned to her and buried my face in her neck. That strange scent of flowers and spices she gave off filled me with warmth. She was talking to me and I started to listen to her.

"Zoey, don't you ever listen to a word that poisonous meat-sack says! All he does is spew poison around and expect you to believe it because it passes his lips! Whatever he said about you is not true! I promise you that because I've fallen in love with a beautiful, powerful, funny, clumsy, dorky and slightly stupid girl! Not some horrible bitch. So don't listen to him, alright?" I listened to Aphrodite and I felt my soul brighten. I know, I know it sounds cheesy but that's what happened. Spirit filled me and I looked up into Aphrodite's light blue eyes. She smiled at me and for just a second, she looked more beautiful than a Botticelli, more angelic than a Michelangelo. At that moment I sent a silent prayer up to Nyx. _Let me always remember this moment. Let me always remember her like this._ I smiled back at her and turned to Lenobia.

"Thank you ma'am for helping me, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come along" Lenobia smiled at me and replied,

"I will always help you, Zoey Redbird. Do not forget that" She smiled at me again before briefly touching my arm, reassuringly, and turning to walk towards the stables. I turned to Aphrodite and hugged her with all my strength. She gave a strangled yelp before hugging me back. I sensed how strong she was and I was glad that she would be on my side tonight. Along with, it seemed, Lenobia.

**Okay, I know it was sappy and may not have sounded like Zoey a lot. I know Erik becomes more jerk-like later in the series and Aphrodite has lost some of her bitchiness but this all filters into the grand design. Shekinah suspects Neferet, Erik wants nothing to do with Zoey, Lenobia has chosen her side and Zoey gets a knock to her confidence! Ah, the possibilities ahead. Now, like before, I have a question to ask you, my faithful reviewers. 'Should Shekinah and Neferet have a **_**past **_**with a P? What should Lenobia do when the red fledglings appear? Should Shekinah die?" Okay, I know it was a bit more than one question but please read and answer! Your replies are eagerly awaited…**

**P.S Feel free to call me a freak at anytime in the reviews for that last sentence. It sounds like I'm about to go crazy dictator on you! *shudders***

**P.P.S And I topped a thousand words in this chapter without including the note at the end! **


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own the House of Night or any of its characters. I do own some of the plot elements though. **

Chapter Seven: Before the Ritual

ZOEY POV

_Please let Stevie Rae be there, Please let Stevie Rae be there! _I was praying mentally to Nyx. Aphrodite was walking next to me and together we headed towards the east wall. My gut was tying itself in knots. What we were about to do, was not only risky but it could backfire on us completely. Especially since Neferet was, you know, pure evil and there was a creepy fallen angel waiting somewhere to be released. Before we turned the corner, Aphrodite suddenly turned to me and hugged me with all her strength. I could feel her worry through our imprint. She let go of me and took a step back, flicking her hair once before turning to walk round the corner. I waited a few moments and Jack soon bounced round the corner.

"Hey, Z!" he beamed at me. Seriously, that kid's smile should be measured in watts. I can see why Damien likes him; it's nice to have an optimistic person by your side when it all goes wrong. _And you're stuck with me_ came Aphrodite's sarcastic voice in my mind. _You're good in a fight though_ I replied back. We shared a mental laugh as various memories shifted across our minds. The corner of my lip twitched a bit and I was brought back to the present by Jack's nervous face.

"Is everything alright Z?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, everything's fine Jack. I just remembered something funny, that's all" I smiled at him. The worry immediately left his face and he grinned at me again.

"Z, Aphrodite told me tell you that there's a surprise waiting for you. I don't know what she meant by it though" A surprise? What was Aphrodite talking about? Surely, she _wouldn't_, no she _couldn't_ do that… _Get your mind out of the gutter, Zoey_ whispered Aphrodite's voice. I almost looked around when I realised that she'd spoken mentally not physically. I blushed and Jack looked confused.

"Don't worry about it Jack. I don't know what she means by that either" _Care to give me a heads up? _I thought in Aphrodite's general direction. She snorted in reply and ignored my question. I was rescued from brooding as Shekinah glided serenely round the corner. When she saw me, her features lit up with a dazzling smile.

"Merry meet!" Shekinah greeted me.

"Merry meet" I smiled and saluted her.

"Have you had any more news about your Grandmother since we spoke last?"

"No ma'am. I haven't" I replied and my thoughts turned to how weak and pale Grandma had looked when I had last seen her. Shekinah seemed to sense my change in mood and gifted me with another dazzling smile.

"Well, Neferet was just telling me how proud she is of you and your spirit! I'm sure your Grandmother will be fine if you are anything like her" I smiled at her but my thoughts quickly darted down another route. Where was Neferet?

"Excuse me ma'am but where is Neferet?" I asked her, confusion lacing my tone. Shekinah glanced behind her and I saw her smile fade.

"She was just here behind me. Odd that I can't see her now…"

"She's probably already part of the circle" Jack said, intruding into our conversation. Shekinah turned to look at him and he saluted her with the traditional vampyre greeting.

"You are probably right, young one. Do forgive me but what is your name?" he blushed a tomato-red before replying,

"My name is Jack, ma'am. I handle the technical side of rituals"

"Ah, yes. I saw you running around earlier with the speakers. Is everything prepared?" she asked him kindly.

"Yes ma'am" Jack seemed to shrink on the spot under her gaze. I briefly wondered if I should rescue him but Shekinah sensed his discomfort and smiled at him before saying in a quiet tone,

"I wonder if you would excuse us, Jack. I must discuss something with Zoey here before the ritual" He let out a breath and gave Shekinah the traditional bow before turning on the spot and walking round the corner of the building.

"Another one of your friends Zoey?"

"Yes ma'am. I don't know what I'd do without Jack" I answered truthfully.

"I think young Damien would be at a loss without him too" Her eyes twinkled as she replied and for a moment I saw how she must have been when she was my age. She sighed and the humour dropped from her eyes.

"In truth, I did not lie to Jack. There is a matter I wish to speak to you about"

"What is it ma'am?"

"Lenobia met me earlier and she was troubled. I asked her what was wrong and she was reluctant to tell me. But eventually I found out the source of her woe. Tell me, young Redbird, is there something you wish to say?"

"Do you mean about Erik or Aphrodite?" I asked her, hesitantly.

"About both. From what accounts I can gather, you seem to have chosen a very fiery person as your companion and you chose her over Erik. I must ask why. Aphrodite has not been given very favourable reviews by anyone and she seems, how can I put this?"

"Bitchy?" I said, half-heartedly. I had not expected to get into this conversation with Shekinah of all people.

"Yes. That seems an apt word. So, why?"

"When I was with Erik, I loved him and I loved spending time with him but there was always something missing" Pausing, I gathered my thoughts before continuing. "All the time I was with him, there was something odd. Something that just didn't quite fit. No guy would be as perfect as he was. I have done a lot of crappy things to him; things he doesn't deserve. We parted ways and even though it hurt, I can't quite say I was eaten up by regret. Aphrodite, although she can be bitchy and self-centred, can also be the most kind and the most caring person I've ever known. We started by hating each other but now I wouldn't trade her for the world. It's hard to explain but with Erik, I always thought he was _too _perfect and not real; something was off, he proved that to me earlier today. But with Aphrodite, I know what I'm getting and I love her for her faults as well as her better parts" I straightened up and felt a flow of mushy stuff coming from Aphrodite. Looked like the bond had carried my words to her. I stared straight into Shekinah's eyes and she nodded once before smiling at me again.

"I am sorry to have questioned your judgement Zoey Redbird. I see you have chosen well"

"I don't blame you ma'am. I have made some very crappy decisions of late but Aphrodite isn't one of them" _At least, not yet _I added mentally.

"Well, now that is over and done with. I believe you have a ritual to perform. Blessed Be" She turned and glided round the corner, leaving me staring after her. _She sure knows how to make an exit _muttered Aphrodite. I rolled my eyes and wished she was standing there next to me so I could whack her. Jack bounced over to me once more and beamed.

"Z, I almost forgot to tell you but in this type of ritual you need to add blood to the sacrificial wine! Neferet said you probably wouldn't know.

"What?" I practically screeched at him.

"Oh yeah and Erik volunteered to do it! Apparently you have to slash his arm."

_Told you there was a surprise, make sure you give him a scar from me _Aphrodite said, maliciously.

**AN: Sorry it took me so long to update but school life has been hectic. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update. Originally the ritual was going to be in this chapter but I decided to make it the subject of the next one. As I've said before, Constructive criticism is welcome and if you must 'flame' me then go ahead. I have to thank each and every person who has reviewed. Your answers to my questions have helped me enormously and one or two of you might recognise your suggestions in the next chapter. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own the House of Night. For this chapter, I have paraphrased the book quite closely so be warned of how similar this chapter is. **

Chapter Eight: The Ritual

ZOEY POV 

"Z, are you okay?" asked Jack. I'm pretty sure that by then I was as white as a sheet. Not only did I have to slash someone's arm in front of the whole school, I had to slash _Erik's _arm. The psychopath within him will never forgive me and one day I'll get a call and his breathy voice will echo down the line saying, '_Seven days_'. Oh my God, I'm dead. He won't just kill me- wait, did Jack say _volunteered_?

"He volunteered?" I asked Jack.

"Yeah, as soon as he heard about it. I was there setting up for the ritual and Professor Lenobia gave him this really dirty look; she didn't leave him alone until Shekinah told her not to worry and even then, she kept giving him death glares. I don't know what he did to annoy her but I'm sure glad that I'm not Erik!" He volunteered. I can't believe it. That bas- _Careful there Zoey, we wouldn't want you to develop a potty mouth _snickered Aphrodite. _You're loving this, aren't you?_ I replied. _Every single damn minute, it's way better than any of the soap's on T.V!_ I snorted out loud. She had a point. My life is very messed up. I sighed and turned to Jack who was becoming more and more jittery by the second.

"It's alright Jack. I'm fine. Just tell me what else I need to know" I took in a few deep breaths and let Jack's technological jargon wash over me. I only caught a few phrases, such as, "You're coming in to the music" and "Erik is taking the place of Loren". That last phrase made me groan. Jack eventually stopped talking and I breathed in once again.

"Start the music Jack" I said, quietly.

"Okay, knock 'em dead Z!" he beamed at me before running round the corner. I tried to clear my mind but because of the whole Erik thing, I wasn't having much success. The ball of nerves in my gut twisted and churned even more violently than before but then I heard the music starting and I was lost in a comforting presence that surrounded me. I strode purposefully around the corner and was greeted with a beautiful sight. Every vampyre and fledgling present held scented candles which gave out a clear, white light. I absorbed the spectacle for the briefest of seconds before starting to let my body be gracefully carried away by the music. I may hate the guy but when Erik's voice joined in, a magical atmosphere was created.

_Beneath the shining stars,_

_Beneath the gleaming moon,_

_When night has healed the scars of burning noon…_

His voice and my movements weaved together and I could feel Nyx's gaze upon me. I spun in a circle and I felt my body become part of the darkness. The faces that were looking at me seemed astonished, some people seemed afraid. My gaze met Neferet's and we stared into each others souls for the briefest of moments before I moved off again.

…_And so I say to you,_

_If hate possess your heart,_

_When day's hot strife is through,_

_Bid hate depart…_

I loved Erik's choice of poem and how perfect it was for what had happened here over the last few days. If only Neferet and Erik could take its meaning to heart then I wouldn't have to worry about Kalona, the raven mockers, my Grandma or the world. I wonder what made Neferet change into this horrible person. She can't always have been like this. I shook my head and returned to the beautiful flow of the music.

_The disappointing day,_

_Whenever wrong, or how,_

_Is something passed away,_

_Is ended now._

_Forget, forgive, the scars,_

_And sleep will find you soon,_

_Beneath the shining stars,_

_The gleaming moon._

The poem ended as I joined Erik in the middle of the circle in front of Nyx's table. I looked up at him and saw his jaw tighten for a moment before he said softly,

"Hello priestess"

"Hello consort" I replied.

He saluted me formally and then turned towards the table. When he faced me again, he held a silver goblet in one hand and a ceremonial knife in the other. Just because it was ceremonial, that doesn't mean it wasn't sharp; it was wicked sharp.

"You'll need this" he said handing me the knife. I felt his hand tighten around the hilt. I looked into his eyes and saw a flash of the wrath he had shown earlier. I was going to enjoy this.

"Slice the meaty part under my thumb on my right hand. Do it over the goblet and then thank me in Nyx's name. After I close my fist, take the goblet to Damien and cast the circle. After summoning each element give the representatives some of the wine." His instructions were given in a robotic voice and as I stared at his right thumb, I felt his glare on the back of my neck. Aphrodite sent me some reassuring feelings but they didn't really help. I sighed and raised the knife to his thumb. He held his hand over the goblet and I slashed it; wincing slightly as the tempered steel sliced through flesh. The scent of his blood hit me and it held me transfixed. I watched the bright ruby bead fall into the goblet. It was only after a wave of jealousy from Aphrodite that I managed to pull myself together.

_Thanks _I muttered in her direction.

_Don't mention it _she snarled in reply, I could hear the sarcasm dripping off her words. She was not happy.

"In Nyx's name, I thank you for your sacrifice tonight. You are blessed by Nyx" I said to Erik in a clear, cold tone. He nodded and passed me the goblet of wine.

"I am loyal to Nyx" he replied. I nodded and a part of my mind noticed that he hadn't said anything about his future loyalty. I brushed it off as paranoia before turning, with my blood-spiked wine, and heading towards Damien. He lifted his yellow candle and smiled at me.

"Wind, you are as dear to me and familiar as the breath of life. Tonight I need your strength to cleanse the stagnant breath of death and fear from us. I ask that you come to me, wind!" Damien had obviously been warned, so he was ready with a lighter for his candle. The moment it was lit, we were surrounded in a mini-tornado of exquisitely controlled wind. We grinned at each other and I lifted the goblet to his lips so he could sip from it.

I moved clockwise round the circle to Shaunee who was, rather appropriately, wearing a fiery red dress. She held up her candle and smiled eagerly at me.

"Fire, you warm and cleanse. Tonight we need your cleansing power to burn the darkness from our hearts. Come to me, fire!" As usual, no match was needed to light Shaunee's candle. It burst into flame and we were filled with glorious warmth. I lifted the goblet for Shaunee and she took her drink.

From fire, I moved to water where Erin was holding a blue candle.

"Water, we go to you dirty and rise from you clean. Tonight I ask that you wash us free of any lingering taint that might want to cling to us. Come to me, water!" Erin lit her candle and we heard the roaring rush of waves and felt cool dew that clung to our skin. I lifted the goblet for Erin and after she had drunk, she whispered,

"Good luck, Z!"

I nodded in reply and moved to Aphrodite. She looked pale and tense as she held the green candle up. _Where is she? _I asked mentally. Aphrodite shrugged and I sent up a brief prayer to Nyx. _Please help me make this work. If it doesn't, could you please help me get out of trouble, again. _I felt calm as I turned from Aphrodite and faced the crowd surrounding us. I saw peace turn to confusion and the air held a sense of expectancy. I saw Lenobia's frowning face coupled with Shekinah's confused one.

"I need to invoke earth next. You all know that but there is a slight problem" I winced at how my words had come out but continued and just prayed that Stevie Rae was here. "Nyx gifted Aphrodite with the earth affinity but it was only temporary. It turns out that Aphrodite was really just keeping the element safe for the one who truly represents earth, Stevie Rae" As soon as I said her name, there was a brief movement in the shadows above the oak. Stevie Rae dropped to the ground gracefully.

"Dang Z, it took you long enough to get to me" she drawled before gliding over to Aphrodite and taking the candle from her.

"Glad you could make it" muttered Aphrodite and she moved to stand next to me. Stevie Rae grinned and her scarlet tattoo's blazed even more brightly than before.

"Okay, _now _you can invoke earth"

**AN: Okay, everyone. I'm making up for my long absence by posting this in quite close succession to my last update. This chapter quite closely follows what happens in the book. I just wanted to make sure that I got this chapter right. The next one will _differ _from the book just slightly. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try and update soon. As usual, constructive criticism is welcome and if you must 'flame' me then go ahead. I said in the last chapter that some of you may recognise your suggestions in this chapter. Sorry folks but that will happen in the next chapter. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own the House of Night. No matter how much I want to. **

Chapter Nine: All Hell Breaks Loose, Literally

Zoey POV

All was silent for one heartbreaking moment before the pain filled cries began. Lenobia breached the circle wall and came to stand by me almost immediately, Shekinah followed her and stood before; her expression revealed pain and sorrow before all emotions were cut off.

"What is the meaning of this Ms Redbird?" I opened my mouth to speak but Neferet cut me off.

"Oh, it's clear what has happened. Zoey Redbird is in league with a dark force and not with our beloved Nyx" Aphrodite hissed at Neferet in a feral manner; I can't be sure but from where I was standing it looked like Neferet took a step back. _Aphrodite, don't break the circle! _I whispered in her mind. _But she insulted you! Only I get to do that! _She whined. _Stay! _I commanded again. I felt her mind give in and accept my order. I turned to Shekinah and began to speak the words that would change mine and my friends' lives forever.

"I'm not the one who is in league with a dark force, Neferet is! You've noticed how evil she has become! You asked me about her behaviour! She's the one who has turned from Nyx!"

"Lies! All lies!" Neferet screeched from outside the circle where she was pacing. It looked like she couldn't enter the circle. I grinned in sudden realisation.

"Stevie-Rae, order the red fledglings into the circle now!" Stevie-Rae nodded and gave the order. All of the red fledglings grouped around her like a flock of lost sheep. Lenobia looked confused.

"Why did you just do that Zoey?" she asked quietly.

"Neferet can't enter the circle" I replied. Shekinah went pale as she turned and observed Neferet's frantic pacing around the edge.

"You can't enter, can you?" I asked Neferet. She stood right at the very edge of the circle and tried to enter but she could not. A deep growl erupted from her throat and the shadows around her thickened and intensified. Shekinah gave a gasp of shock and seemed like she wanted to run to Neferet before I grabbed her arm.

"She has chosen a different side to us. You cannot save her" whispered Lenobia. The high priestess of Nyx bowed her head and cried. Neferet, upon seeing this, burst out into an evil laugh.

"Save me? Why would you need to save me? I am more powerful than I ever was when I served that pathetic goddess and now my new master will rise from the earth!" She laughed again, louder and more screechy than before. It was like somebody had run fingernails down the blackboard of my soul.

"You used to love Nyx! What happened to you Neferet? Please tell me!" Shekinah was begging her now.

"Love? You dare speak to me about love? After you left, I became weak, crippled by _love_. Kalona took my weakness and gave me power. He took my love and gave me the knowledge of revenge" I turned to look at Shekinah and felt a horrible truth sink into my mind.

"Shekinah, what did she mean when she said 'after you left'?" I asked her quietly.

"Do you really need to ask that Zoey? Neferet was to me, what Aphrodite is to you. I loved her" The last part was said so quietly I struggled to hear it.

"Hah, if you loved me you wouldn't have left! Well, now my master's time is at hand. Archer strike your mark!" She gestured into the shadows and that new kid, Stark, stepped forward. We hadn't really talked much beyond 'Hi, nice dog' but he had died a few days ago I remembered then. A red crescent was visible on his forehead and he lifted up his bow with a calm precision. He sighted down the shaft of the arrow and released. Aphrodite, futilely stepped in front of me, but the arrow was not aimed for me. I heard a gasp from behind me and I turned to see Stevie-Rae slip to the ground in a silent heap. Blood flowed in a never-ending cascade from the wound. The earth looked like it was bleeding. Ate, Shekinah's main warrior dude, ran to the circle, to Shekinah, but a limb of shadow sliced through his body and he fell to the ground, motionless. Shekinah cried out in pain and the earth beneath us began to rumble and shake. Cracks appeared below our feet and the raven mockers, a sick combination of man and bird, fluttered around the disturbance. The rock blasted outwards and Kalona rose up into the air before gently gliding down to stand beside Neferet. She bowed to him and whispered,

"My master, you are finally here" He nodded and my mind suddenly just focused on him. It felt like he was a magnet and I just couldn't stop myself from turning to look at him. All around me, silence fell and I presume everyone was caught in his spell. I continued to look but Aphrodite's beautiful blonde hair obscured my vision. Her hair began to spark memories deep within me; memories I held close to my heart. After Grandma had been injured and Aphrodite had stayed with me until I fell asleep, before that when she stayed by my side even though my friends didn't, kissing her soft silk lips, running my hands through that beautiful hair and her telling me that I 'better not mess it up'. Kalona's beauty seemed faded and fake to me and all I could think was _Aphrodite is more beautiful than you are_. His spell broke and I walked around to face Aphrodite. Her eyes flickered to my face and met my eyes. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, putting my face into the crook of her neck and inhaling softly. She stiffened as I touched her but she relaxed and I felt her arms slink around my waist. Her head bent down and she kissed along my cheekbone before whispering in my ear,

"I love you"

**AN: Aww, isn't that so sweet? As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed. This story now has more than fifty reviews! Special thanks go to NiamhusRaticus for the cheerleading, Hazelstar for the sympathetic shoulder and helpful advice, daretotry12 for the constant reviewing and support, TheAngel'sWings for the constructive criticism and, well, I could go on for ever. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, try not to kill me for eliminating Stark from the 'Boyfriend Game' but what I'm trying to make clear is the fact that Zoey and Aphrodite are meant to be with each other and, to be honest with you, I'm not a big Stark fan. Of course this changes the plot of the books quite significantly. Tell me in your reviews or message me about what you would like to happen after I finish the 'Untamed' part of 'What We Are'. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Chapter Ten: Darkness

Zoey POV

I gazed up at Aphrodite, straight into her beautiful blue eyes, and I whispered back,

"I love you too" She smiled at me before kissing me lovingly on the lips. In that moment I forgot about my Grandma, Kalona, the ever-evil Neferet and how shell-shocked Shekinah was. I mean, damn, she was a good kisser. _I hope you mean great _her voice whispered in my mind. _Of course I do_ I replied. Her lips left mine and she said aloud,

"Good because we have to get out of here". I nodded before slipping out of her warm, soft arms and turning to my friends. They were all entrapped by Kalona's magnetism. Kalona himself wasn't looking at us; he only had eyes (and hands) for Neferet.

"Spirit, come to me" I whispered quietly. "Help my friends" was all I asked it to do. I felt a rush of pure wonderfulness fill me before it left me and I heard my friends gasp. Kalona's spell was broken and they all looked pretty scared. They came in closer to me but they made sure to not break our circle.

"Shit, that bird-man can pull some pretty freaky mojo" muttered Shaunee looking wiped out.

"I agree with you there twin" whispered Erin. Stevie-Rae was being supported by two of her fledglings but she smiled and Damien just nodded. Shekinah sat on the ground but Lenobia pulled her up and made sure she stayed with us. There was a dead look in Shekinah's eyes and I shuddered when I saw it.

"Okay guys, we gotta get out of here. We need to sneak over to the trapdoor in the east wall then get to the tunnels under the depot, got it?" They all nodded and we set off at a slow pace, instinctively making sure our circle wasn't broken. When I looked back I saw that Erik was still in the trance. I felt a brief moment of guilt for leaving him there but Aphrodite quickly quashed it. _Don't you dare feel guilty over that jerk; he doesn't deserve it _she whispered mentally. _I know but I just can't help myself_ I replied. Aphrodite growled before quickly grabbing me and kissing me hard on the lips. She then let me go and continued to walk on; her hand firmly gripping mine. Her message was clear, she may as well have just posted a sign above my head saying 'Belongs to Aphrodite; don't mess with it or you will feel my wrath'. I sighed and leaned into her as I walked; was she always going to be difficult? _You better believe it! _She said in my mind. I'm pretty sure I sent a mental eye roll her way. Anyway, we soon reached the trapdoor and escaped through it quietly. Neferet didn't notice us leave; she was too busy with bird-boy. We escaped into the town and went unnoticed by the raven mockers. They were too busy attacking the townspeople and I think Nyx was helping us out a bit. We reached the depot, cold but alive. As soon as we reached the entrance to the tunnels, I ended the circle and almost collapsed on Aphrodite. I'd never felt this drained before. She caught me on instinct and I felt a wave of alarm though the bond.

"Do not worry Aphrodite. She is merely tired from having used so much of her energy" whispered Shekinah. I'm pretty sure everyone jumped at the sound of her voice; I know I did. Shekinah had stopped leaning on Lenobia so much and now she stood proud and tall. She turned to Stevie-Rae and tenderness filled her voice.

"Come young one, we must help you" The red fledglings helped get Stevie-Rae down the hole and onto the floor of the tunnels. A few of them went ahead to light the way but the majority of them stayed with us. Aphrodite and me waited for everyone to descend before she made me climb down the ladder and then followed closely behind me. She grabbed me again as soon as she reached the tunnel floor.

"Hey Zoey, is Aphrodite your girlfriend?" came Stevie-Rae's rough voice. I just looked at her and nodded. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I suppose you could've chosen someone worse" she muttered. There were a few coughs of laughter from the group. _I'm not allowed to hurt her, am I? _asked Aphrodite in a bitchy tone. _No you're not. She's my best friend so don't get jealous on me, okay? _It was Aphrodite's turn to snort. _Jealous, moi? Of the bumpkin? Never! _I rolled my eyes and leant against Aphrodite some more; I'll admit I wasn't that weak but I liked her holding onto me and pressing into her like this just felt right. The red fledglings returned and we walked along the tunnels. Shekinah was barking out orders for blood and Lenobia was whispering to Stevie-Rae; reassuring her I think. We quickly reached their living quarters. I had to admit they had a nice setup here. It must have been Aphrodite's gold card at work. Stevie-Rae was carried along to a beaded curtain door and gently pulled through. I detached myself from Aphrodite and followed Stevie-Rae. She was and still is my best friend. And I'll be damned if I was going to let them take an arrow out of her chest and not be there for her.

**AN: So folks, I've finished my version of 'Untamed'. It's onto 'Hunted' next! I must admit that I am surprised by the amount of reviews I've had so far; nine chapters and over sixty reviews? I must be doing something right for once. As I said in the previous chapter, what I've done to the storyline will change it immensely. If anybody can think of a few good subplots to add depth to the story then please message me or tell me in a review. I've already come up with a good one though: Venus used to be Aphrodite's roommate, what could've happened between them? Tell me what you think of it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Chapter Eleven: The Beginning of my version of 'Hunted'!

Zoey POV

I pushed through the bead curtains and went straight to Stevie-Rae, who was lying on a thick table, before taking her hand and squeezing it gently. Her cornflower blue eyes were unfocused but as soon as I took her hand, she turned to me and smiled.

"Hey Zoey, don't think you're getting out of talking to me about Aphrodite just because of a little hole in my chest" She coughed and bright red blood trickled down her chin; leaving a gleaming trail from her lips. I smiled at her but I'm pretty sure I was almost crying. This reminded me too much of when she had died the first time around.

"I'll look forward to it Stevie-Rae" I replied gently. She smiled at me again before sighing and turning to face the ceiling; her hand still tightly holding mine. A hand touched my shoulder and I looked around to see Shekinah standing there.

"You and one other must hold her upright while Lenobia and I remove the arrow" I gulped and nodded. I was just about to disentangle my hand from Stevie-Rae's so I could go grab someone but Venus Davies came running in with several blood pouches in her arms. She was pale but when she saw Stevie-Rae, she got just that bit paler. She looked at me and I saw worry deep within her eyes.

"Venus, I'll need you help to hold Stevie-Rae while the arrow is being removed" I told her. She nodded and quickly dumped the blood pouches on the table before taking Stevie-Rae's other hand. She may have been one of Aphrodite's old friends which pretty much made her a bitch, but I could've sworn she looked like she wanted to cry when she looked into Stevie-Rae's eyes.

"Hey boss, how's it going?" she asked quietly. Stevie-Rae choked on a laugh before saying,

"I thought I told you to not call me boss!" Her southern drawl noticeably thickened.

"Sure thing general" grinned Venus. She and Aphrodite used to be roommates, how is she being this nice? A sudden thought popped its way into my head. They, were, roommates. OH. MY. GOD. No, sure Aphrodite used to be a whore but she wouldn't have, not with her best friend, would she? The thought ricocheted around my head, bouncing off the insides of my skull and I'm pretty sure I was hyperventilating. I remembered what Aphrodite used to be like and I got my answer; _yes she definitely would_. At that moment in time, all I wanted to do was sock Venus on the jaw there and then or at least break her pretty little nose but I restrained myself when I looked down and saw Stevie-Rae looking back at me. She looked puzzled but I smiled at her and squeezed her hand. She didn't have time to ask me what was wrong because Shekinah came up to us then and told us to hold Stevie-Rae up in a sitting position. Venus and I held her up and grabbed an arm each; holding on as tightly as possible. Shekinah carefully cut away the material surrounding the arrow. Lenobia did the same around the exit wound on Stevie-Rae's back before grabbing the end of the arrow and waiting for Shekinah's signal. Shekinah herself turned to us and looked grimly at us.

"I am going to push the arrow through and Lenobia will pull it out from the other side. I need you two to hold on to her as we remove the arrow. Do not let go; no matter what" We both nodded and tightened our grip on Stevie-Rae's arms.

"On my count, I will start to push. Three, two, one!" Shekinah started to push and Stevie-Rae let out a horrible scream. It was heart-wrenching but still Shekinah pushed the edge of the arrow. Blood welled up around her hands and I felt Stevie-Rae contort under my grip as the arrow was pushed out of her body. Finally it was out and Stevie-Rae's mindless howl petered off into a sob. Lenobia and Shekinah worked quickly to bind up her wounds. She lay motionless in our grip. After they were done, we lowered her gently onto the table. Her eyelids closed but when they opened again, I saw the red tint that obscured her vision. She growled and tried to leap at my throat but Venus held her down. I grabbed one of the abandoned blood packs and ripped it open before tipping it down her throat as she twisted and squirmed beneath me. I did this with all of the remaining blood packs and she calmed somewhat but she was still hissing like Aphrodite on a bad hair day.

"It's not enough!" I said. Shekinah and Lenobia were helping Venus to hold Stevie-Rae down. Venus's shoulders slumped and she looked like somebody had just run over her Chihuahua.

"I know" was all she whispered before she dragged a nail across her throat and shoved Shekinah and Lenobia away. Stevie-Rae immediately broke free of Venus' hold and sank her teeth into Venus's neck. Her eyes closed and Venus moaned in pleasure. My own blood lust started to act up as I watched them; I started to think of Aphrodite. I stumbled away, through the bead curtains and into the corridor beyond. Instinctively, I ran along the tunnel before I reached the living room. Aphrodite was sitting with my friends, they all looked pretty miserable although I wasn't exactly in any condition to notice at the time. Blood-lust and normal lust clouded my mind. All I could see was Aphrodite. The shadows swirled around me as I leapt for my imprinted one. I felt her surprise through the bond as I suddenly straddled her and pushed her back into the couch; my friends around me jumped in shock. _Uh, Zoey? Not that I'm not incredibly turned on by this but what's wrong? The dork I know would never-_ I cut off her mental remark by growling and biting into her neck. Running feet sounded and I felt someone behind me. I turned and snarled at Shekinah who was standing right behind me. _How dare she interrupt me taking what's mine! _

"Mine!" was all I growled at her before turning back to Aphrodite. Some small sane voice in my head shuddered at the b-rated horror movieness of that statement. Just as my fangs were about to slide sensuously into her neck, people grabbed me from behind and dragged me off of her. I thrashed in their grip and tried to break free acting on instinct more than anything else but then Aphrodite's hand touched my face and I stopped thrashing. She caressed my face delicately and I leaned into her touch; gazing into those blue eyes that reminded me of eternity every time I looked at them. She smiled at me and I relaxed completely. _It's okay Zoey, sleep I'll be there when you wake up, I promise_, she whispered mentally to me. My eyes closed at her command and I sagged; gladly sinking into Morpheus's embrace.

**AN: Okay, I hope you're happy. I have battled a cold to bring this chapter to you! I wasn't in school today and I feel like crap warmed up. Hell, my hair looks like crap warmed up. You better appreciate how I've suffered for this chapter, the trials I've undergone! Ohhh, I think I'm going to write the next chapter now and then update later this weekend. Although, I did spend my day off school productively; I found an online pirate translator! 'n I love it! In fact, I be goin' t' use it all th' time! Pirates are th' best! I use a pirate accent when readin' th' pirate version o' wha' I've written. Should I be worried?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Chapter Twelve: Dreams and Sorrows

Zoey POV

I was dreaming. I had to be. Nowhere this beautiful could exist on earth. I was in a green field by a moonlit lake. The field was the kind of green that was alive; not the washed out green grass you get back in my hometown. Cobalt and silver flowers sprung up rebelliously and I walked among them; letting my hand trail through them like the ever awesome Russell Crowe did in 'Gladiator'. The ground was soft beneath my feet and the grass gently brushed my legs. I sighed and collapsed in a heap in the middle of the field. Why couldn't my life be this peaceful, just for once? I sighed again and I was about to lie down completely in the grass when I heard a cracking noise. I leapt to my feet and looked around. There was no one there. The sound happened again but this time it was much closer and it felt like somebody was standing behind me. I didn't turn to look to see who it was. I already knew. The moonlight had faded and the darkness seemed to close in on me now; it was no longer a friend but a foe. I ran as fast as I could but Neferet was faster. The darkness tripped me up before pinning me to the ground. I looked up at the night sky but even the moon was hiding in fear from the darkness that had descended. Neferet walked forward and stood above me, just looking at me. Let me tell you now, she was the absolute epitome (Damien word!) of creepiness. It's like she gave off an aura of creepiness with a side serving of insanity. I tried to pull at the dark chains binding me but they wouldn't even move. Suddenly Neferet moved in one swift movement and she was straddling me. She leant over me and placed her hands on my forearms to brace herself. Then she looked deep into my eyes and felt a shudder of pure terror race through my veins; whatever she wants, can't be good.

"What, what do you want?" I asked, licking my lips out of fear. She smiles at me and I can feel the primal instincts that were stirred earlier, roaring to be released. She grins at me again.

"I want you to let go; release the chains on the beast within and join me"

"I, I, I don't know what you're talking about" I manage to stutter out. The dark aura around her intensifies for a second and suddenly I'm very aware of a general area of my body down south that has just started to get hot and heavy.

"That frightened little girl act of yours fooled me I admit, you even managed to fool yourself. But I felt the beast within you rise for one glorious moment! I felt your power from halfway across the town! Even Kalona, as thick-headed as he is, felt it. With you on my side, I could do anything I wanted! I could burn the seas, desecrate the land! Oh the possibilities Zoey! What we could do together! Besides that little human slut you've taken to lying with won't ever be able to satiate you like I can" Her voice took on a deep sultry tone and I felt a jolt of pleasure run through me. "You know she can't" she whispered, leaning down to my throat and kissing the delicate tracing of my veins. The beast roared in approval. The pleasure I was feeling built up and intensified but I managed to get a clear answer out through clenched teeth.

"_Never_" was all I said. Neferet leaned back and frowned at me. She looked less crazy then, in fact she looked like she had when I had first met her; warm, kind and caring. The moment passed and the creepy-evil-and-possibly-psychopathic Neferet returned.

"You would spurn my offer child? I warn you that that is a very dangerous path to take"

"I don't care. I love Aphrodite and I love Nyx! I will never turn my back on them, never!" As soon as I said Nyx's name, Neferet jumped back and hissed. A cool wind flowed over my skin where her body had been and the wind blew the darkness away. She hissed again in rage and the dark chains binding me cracked and broke apart. I sat up and crawled away from her. She tried to step after me but the wind pushed her back.

"I will return Zoey and next time your goddess won't be able to stop me!" I looked at her and she screeched in anger before whirling around on the spot and running off into the darkness. As soon as she was gone, the clouds covering the moon parted and I was alone in my dreams once more. I pulled my knees up and hugged them to my chest. I felt something wet drip onto my kneecap and I realised I was crying.

"I just want to be with Aphrodite" I whispered to the field. The image blurred and the comforting darkness, Nyx's darkness, surrounded me. Aphrodite's voice rang out around me. _I hope Zoey's okay. Damn it, I've never seen her like that before, it was almost like there was a beast inside of her. _The darkness around me faded and I found myself in a corridor that Aphrodite was angrily pacing along. _Why can't I see her? Stupid, bloody high priestess of all vampires gives me an order and I'm supposed to obey it? Hah! I don't even obey Zoey and she is the one bloody thing I love the most in my world; quickly followed by my Vichy shower. _I rolled my eyes at Aphrodite's internal rants. She was honestly impossible. We heard a sound and looked up; Stevie-Rae in her non-beastie mode was walking along the tunnel to Aphrodite.

"Since Z is out of it at the moment, I need to have a little chat with you Aphrodite" Her drawl was barely noticeable now and she looked kind of scary. Aphrodite, being who she is, ignored the giant 'do not piss off' sign Stevie-Rae had over her head and snorted.

"Oh yeah, about what bumpkin?" Stevie-Rae's eyed flashed red and she grabbed Aphrodite and pinned her against the wall.

"Don't back talk to me right now Aphrodite. I'm not in the mood" I felt the fear flash through Aphrodite.

"Ohhh, looks like that little imprint with Venus has already affected you" Stevie-Rae growled.

"Shut up. I just wanted to tell you one thing"

"What?" spat out Aphrodite.

"If you hurt Zoey, there will be no place safe for you on earth. You got that?" Aphrodite nodded and I felt relieved. Stevie-Rae stepped back and let my girlfriend down gently. She turned to walk down the tunnel but at the end she turned around and looked at Aphrodite before grinning.

"Oh, and by the way, Shekinah says you can come see Zoey now" Her drawl was back and she sauntered out of sight. _Well, I'll be. A bipolar vampire _thought Aphrodite before hurrying down the tunnel and out of my sight. There was a weird tugging in my gut and I was back in my own body again. Don't ask me how I knew; it was just one of those things you just know. _Thank you Nyx _I whispered. I knew she was behind the whole out-of-body experience and I felt a surge of gratitude rise up in me. I sighed and opened my eyes, blinking in the soft, warm lamp glow that filled the room. I was lying on a bed of some kind and as I turned my head I saw Aphrodite was sitting in the chair next to it; she was looking at me and I saw the love in her eyes.

"Hey, sleeping beauty" she whispered "You've been asleep for over a day" I blinked in surprise. A day? It had only felt like an hour to me at most. I remembered what had happened before I fell asleep and I felt my heart sink.

"Sorry for jumping you like that" I whispered in reply. Her face softened and she stood up. I looked at her in confusion and she rolled her eyes.

"Move over, you idiot!" I glared at her but I did move over. Huh, turns out that I am in a double bed after all. She lifted up the blanket and slid in beside me before grabbing me in a hug. I shifted in her arms and turned to face her. She smiled at me. _Don't apologise Zoey. You couldn't help yourself. _I frowned. _What do you mean by that? _I asked her. _To put it simply, when you witnessed Stevie-Rae and Venus share blood like that, it triggered an instinct in you that made you search me out; I was your mate and you wanted to screw me. _She sounded amused by what had happened; not mad. _You're not mad? _A mental eye roll was sent my way. _No, I'm not mad at you. Dork. _It was my turn to roll my eyes and we both burst out laughing.

**AN: Quick note before my evil-villain- rant begins: The imprint, as great as it is, isn't all that reliable. So when Zoey got upset over Venus, Aphrodite didn't get the whole thing so she just assumed that Zoey was upset over her best friend. That is also why Aphrodite didn't sense that Zoey was there in the corridor. NOW MY RANT MAY BEGIN! A new plot twist has been added. The 'beast' lurks within and, as Zoey will find out, the hardest enemy to fight is yourself. I bet none of you saw the Neferet thing coming did ya? The way I figure it, she is obsessed by power and turned on by it. That's why she had her hands all over Kalona; he was powerful. Now she is more powerful than he is and suddenly Zoey is the only one she can meet on equal footing. Can anyone say disturbing encounter fast enough? Don't worry, this new plot twist won't change the canon that much but it will spice things up a little! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Chapter Thirteen: Unlucky Thirteen, Seriously…

Zoey POV

I don't know how long we remained hugging for but I think it was a while. My thoughts returned to the wrong-sick dream I'd had of Neferet. A shudder ran through me and I quickly sat up; placing my feet on the cold floor.

"Zoey, what is it? What's wrong?" asked Aphrodite. She sat up as well and wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"I just remembered this creepy dream I had when I was asleep that's all. It's nothing to worry about" I turned around and smiled fakely at her. She frowned and grabbed me.

"Tell me what happened Zoey" her voice was deadly calm.

"Aphrodite, it's really nothing at all-"She cut me off,

"Oh yes it is, now tell me before I get your nerd herd to guilt trip it out of you later"

"It…Well… Neferet was in it" Aphrodite's eyes narrowed dangerously and her grip on me hardened. I was reminded of a cat going in for the kill.

"What. Did. Neferet. Do?" her voice had taken on a dangerous tone. Red alert! Red alert! Warning bells were going off in my head: there was no right answer to this question.

"Um…Well…She, kind of…. Maybe….possibly…kissed me?" The last part came out as a question. I leaned away from Aphrodite but she tightened her grip and dragged me towards her so I was looking into her eyes.

"Why did she kiss you?" The iceberg the Titanic had hit could not have been as cold as the tone she was using on me right now.

"She-wanted-me-to-join-the-dark-side-and-she-had-chained-me-down-and-she-straddled-me-and-then-she-kissed-me-but-I-said-no-to-her-offer-so-she-got-pissed-and-then-something-threw-her-out-of-my-head-and-nothing-else-happened-I-swear!" I took a deep breath after having said that all in one go and stared straight into Aphrodite's eyes. After a moment she growled and let me go before getting off the bed and pacing the room.

"How dare she!" she snarled into thin air. "How dare she!"

"Um, Aphrodite, are you alright?" I asked her, I was beyond freaked out now; I had slid into the abyss of eternal terror. She stopped her angry pacing and turned to look at me.

"I am going to kill that bitch when I find her" her voice was calm; the calm before the storm. It's clichéd I know but she was damn scary at that moment. She moved suddenly, so fast all I could do was blink before she was straddling me and pushing me down onto the bed. Her lips roughly held mine and her hips were moving very suggestively against mine. Hell, she didn't need Neferet's freaky mojo to make me want her. She broke the violent kiss and then looked at me, straight into my eyes and said "You're mine Zoey. This imprint goes two ways and I'll be damned if I lose you to some evil bitch who wants you for power. If she takes you, I will find you. If you leave, I'll make you come back and there is nothing you can do to change that. Okay?" I nodded; too scared to speak in case I said something dumb. She smiled and leant down kissing me so much more sensuously than before and I think I might've moaned into her mouth but before we could go much further there was a noise outside like someone deliberately coughing. We broke apart and Stevie-Rae walked through the beaded curtains that hung in the doorway. I sighed; I really would've loved for that to have continued. I tried to sit up but Aphrodite shoved me back down again, I looked at her but she was glaring at Stevie-Rae.

"Yeah, can I help you cowgirl?" She moved her hips again and I had to bite my lip. What the hell was she doing? She was practically screwing me in front of my best friend! I looked at Stevie-Rae and she caught my gaze for a second before meeting Aphrodite glare for glare.

"Gee, Aphrodite, I didn't think you had such a short memory. Do we need to have that little chat of ours again?" Stevie-Rae's drawl had noticeably thinned and I felt a flash of fear spin through me. _Please, don't make her mad! _I begged Aphrodite. However my pleas fell on deaf mental ears as she did not move a muscle.

"No we don't. That talk was about me hurting her and I'm not exactly hurting her right now" she emphasised her point with another buck of her hips. I might've moaned that time. Stevie-Rae took a step forward and growled.

"If I didn't know better, Stevie-Rae, I'd say you were jealous. You're not are you?" asked Aphrodite and I felt bitchiness spread through the bond but before she could act on it, Stevie-Rae blurred into action and picked her up before throwing her back down onto the other side of the bed.

"Mind your manners Aphrodite. Come on Z, the others want to see you" She literally picked me up and sped from the room with me. I felt Aphrodite's anger fade and a little bit of shame fill her. _I'm sorry Zoey _she whispered _I was just about the whole Neferet thing and then she came in and I kind of snapped. Sorry_. I sighed and replied, _Don't say sorry to me, you're going to have to apologise to Stevie-Rae_. The anger returned. _What? That's not fair! She was the one who threw me on the bed! _She was whining now. _You were being impossible! And you don't exactly inspire patience in people! Look, never mind. I'll talk to you later. _I shut down the mental side of my part of the bond for the first time since we'd imprinted. Guess we just had our first fight, huh? Tears rolled down my cheeks and I latched onto Stevie-Rae, burrowing my face into her shirt. She stopped running and set me down on the floor. I was immediately struck by the bizarre fact that she was smaller than me. That made me laugh for some insane reason and I leaned against the tunnel wall before sliding down it.

"Z, are you okay?" she was worried. "Cause if it's about what I did to Aphrodite then I'm sorry, its just that she gets on my nerves and…and….I'm sorry" she muttered. I decided in that moment to lie to my best friend. Sure it wasn't well advised but I had a feeling that if I told her that it was Aphrodite who was making me cry, Aphrodite may not last the week.

"Uh, it's just that I need to warn my family to not go outside and I'm worried about them. Okay, maybe I'm not worried about the step-loser but I'm definitely worried about my mom and my brother and sister" She didn't look convinced.

"Okay, Z. I'll take you to the tunnel entrance. Aphrodite already borrowed your phone when you were asleep to warn the nun about your Grandma. So you don't have to worry about her" Sister Mary Angela! I felt a surge of guilt run through me. I hadn't thought about my Grandma once since this whole mess got out of hand. As soon as me and Aphrodite made up, I was going to hug her and thank her in a million different ways.

"Thanks Stevie-Rae. That's the best news I've heard for awhile" She smiled at me and picked me up again before speeding off to the tunnel entrance. We soon reached it and I clambered up the ladder and up through the manhole. I looked down at Stevie-Rae below me and I grinned at her. I looked around me and grimaced slightly. At least it was still night time.

"Hey, Stevie-Rae, I'm going to be making a few calls which could take a while so why don't you head back to the others. I'll be there as soon as I can, I swear!" She frowned slightly before nodding.

"Okay Z, but you better shut the manhole, just in case someone comes along then" She disappeared from my sight and I quickly lugged the manhole back into place before sitting on it and taking out my mobile phone. I flipped it open and turned it on. I had a few messages. One from my mom, one from, what I recognised with guilt, Heath and finally I had one from Neferet. I guess the psychopath is now cyber-stalking me. I snorted at the idea before listening to the message from my mom. She sounded worried and asked if I was alright, the one from Heath was the same. I sent a quick text to both of them, telling them I was fine and that they'd better stay indoors for the next few days. I shuddered and put my phone up to my ear to listen to the message from Neferet. Her creepy voice started almost instantly,

"Hello Zoey, as I told you earlier I will return for you soon. Don't try to stop me or one of your little friends I have tucked away at school will suffer the consequences. You will join me eventually; I'll make sure of it. The only choice you have is whether or not to make it easy for yourself. See you soon Zoey" And on that creepy note, the message ended. I took my phone from my ear and just looked at it. I'll admit it freaked me out a lot. Neferet was super powerful and I had a feeling she could carry through with her threats. I shuddered slightly and tried not to start crying again. It wouldn't help anyone. I looked towards the empty place in my heart and mind where Aphrodite usually was. I placed my head in my hands and sighed. Why couldn't my life be easier? Why did Nyx have to choose me? A restless wind suddenly blew past me and I jerked upright. The wind carried Nyx's words to me. _'Do not doubt yourself daughter. I have chosen you to be the first true daughter of Night; I picked you for a reason. Do not forget that'_. Her words faded and I sighed again but it was more of a happy sigh as I felt Spirit sing through me; lifting my heart from Neferet's dark bonds that stuck and clung to it. I was just about to head inside when I heard a scream outside. I dropped my phone by the manhole and ran outside. A Raven mocker was attacking a woman. A surge of rage ran through me as I cried,

"Wind, blow him back to where he comes from" The Wind answered my call and the Raven mocker was hurled away, screeching in the blast. The woman looked up at me in fear before scrambling to her feet and running away. I looked after her retreating back and grimaced before turning to head inside. That's when I heard _her _voice.

"Why do you insist on helping those insignificant mortals Zoey? You could do so much more" I turned around again and faced Neferet. She was lounging against a ruined car in all of her evil glory. Her dress was black and it sparkled under the light but trust me when I say it didn't leave much to the imagination.

"They're not insignificant. So don't call them that" Her eyebrows raised and a smile licked its way across her lips.

"Oooh, so there's some fire in you yet; I was afraid that taking you would be too easy" I took a step back from her.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not going to happen. You will never take me!" She smiled at me again and suddenly darkness covered her. When the darkness disappeared she was no longer there. Oh crap! Sensing the worst, I turned to the entrance to the depot. Sure enough, she was standing there between me and my friends.

"As you can see, I've learnt a few new tricks. Its not going to be so easy to take me down this time Zoey" I growled at her and started to say,

"Fire, come to me!" However she cut me off before even the word 'fire' had left my lips with a dagger at my throat. I stiffened automatically and all I could feel was revulsion as her hand skimmed lightly over my body; taking advantage of the fact that I couldn't fight back without getting a slit throat. Her hand made it's was to my face and I glared at her. She frowned and slapped me.

"You will never look at me like that again" I glared at her again and got another slap. She seemed ready to go for a third when suddenly she sighed and smiled at me.

"Oh well, I'll have plenty of time to drum proper behaviour into your head back at the House of Night" Her hand reached round the back of neck and there was a sudden pain and I remember falling to the ground, seeing her looking down at me and smiling. All I could feel was fear. My eyes closed and my last thought was,

_Aphrodite I'm sorry_.

**AN: What did you think of that then? By the way, there should be a poll on my profile about this story, I'd be much obliged to you if you could take it for me and report back. I say should though because I'm not really a technical genius when it comes to these things. Ah well, c'est la vie! Anyway, read and review compadres, I have slaved for you to bring this chapter to fanfiction,** **so please all of you, and yes I mean the silent readers, review! I'm only ten reviews away from getting over a hundred reviews! But anyway, what do you think about the end? Freaky, huh? I really think I'm going to have to up the rating for this story to 'M' because I really think there will be some majorly unsuitable stuff when Neferet starts on Zoey and I don't think any of it will be consensual. And when Aphrodite finally catches up with Neferet, there will be nothing on this earth that can save her from Aphrodite's wrath! Thanks to anyone who has reviewed so far and I think I've replied to everyone who I can. I hope you liked the update! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Chapter Fourteen: Dreams of my Belovèd

Zoey POV 

I was back in the meadow again. A lavender scented breeze danced around me and I inhaled deeply. The meadow seemed firmer than before, more real and less hazy; it was stronger. A faint silver light danced around the edge of the grass and I looked at it in confusion. Darkness reared over the light and tried to enter but it could not. Every time it tried, it was beaten back by the soft, silver light.

"I am protected" I whispered quietly. The lavender breeze twirled around me again and I laughed. "I AM PROTECTED!" I shouted right in the middle of the field. The silver borders flared in recognition of my words. Sure, it was a cheesy moment but I dare you to not have felt the same exhilarating hope and relief I did at that time. Neferet may have my body but I will always have my mind. At least she can't turn me to the 'dark side'. I smiled again at my mental 'Star Wars' analogy (a classic) and wandered over towards the lake that bordered my meadow. The deep waters held images; memories. Aphrodite appeared over and over again. Guilt speared my heart and I winced as I remembered how we had parted. I reached out and let my hand touch the waters. As soon as my hand touched the dark liquid, I was pulled in. The comforting darkness surrounded me and suddenly I was by Aphrodite's side.

She was back in the bedroom we had shared for a brief time and she was leaning against a wall, hugging a pillow viciously.

"I'm sorry Zoey" she whispered. A tear fell, unheeded, down her cheek and I felt like the worst person in the universe. I tried to reach out and touch her but my hand couldn't touch her face. Where's a ghost whisperer when you need one? The beaded curtains blasted apart and Stevie-Rae stood there, panting. Aphrodite jumped up and snarled.

"What do you want? Have you come to interfere in my relationship again? What about taking my girlfriend? Oh no, wait, you've already been there, done that and you've got the fucking t-shirt for sticking your nose in other people's business! Get out of here bumpkin!" Aphrodite turned and collapsed on the bed again; apparently not caring that she had just pissed off someone more powerful than herself.

"Darn it Aphrodite! I don't have time for your dramatics! Zoey's been-" Stevie-Rae was cut off mid-sentence by my furious, yet insanely hot, girlfriend.

"Dramatics? I think I have the bloody right to be dramatic! The one girl I love most in the world has shut herself off from me! If you hadn't interrupted us then she'd still be in here, with me, and we wouldn't be fighting!" Anger radiated off her. _Stevie-Rae had better stop her now before she gets going_, I thought. Stevie-Rae had apparently reached the same conclusion as she quickly placed her hand over Aphrodite's mouth.

"Zoey's been taken by Neferet!" She shouted. Aphrodite's eyes widened and a muscle on her jaw twitched before Stevie-Rae moved her hand away with a yell of pain.

"You, you, bit me!" Stevie-Rae said in disbelief.

"Well, you shouldn't have put your hand there then!" Aphrodite replied before stalking past Stevie-Rae and moving with a predatorily grace through the corridors. Everyone, even though they were more powerful than her, jumped out of her way. She was heading towards the corridors that led outside. _Oh no_, I muttered mentally. Stevie-Rae blurred past Aphrodite and appeared in the corridor in front of her.

"Where are you going?" Stevie-Rae asked.

"I'm going to kill her!" She tried to move past Stevie-Rae but Stevie-Rae stopped her with one arm and rolled her eyes.

"Aphrodite, as bitchy as you are, I doubt that even you can kill Neferet"

"Well, I'm going to bloody well try!" She tried to move past Stevie-Rae again but she was stopped again. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way." She growled.

"No can do, hag. While Z ain't here, we have to keep an eye on you" Shaunee and Erin had moved to stand beside Stevie-Rae. Aphrodite gave a pure scream of frustration.

"Do you have any idea what Neferet could be doing to her right now? She could be hurting her, torturing her! Or worse and I wouldn't put it past that bitch to do something despicable if we let her! So get out of my way!" She tried to push through them again but they stopped her. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Please move. I can't…If something happened…to her… Zoey….I wouldn't be able to….I could never look myself in the eyes again. Please move. Please" Her voice had gotten steadily quieter as she spoke and she seemed to be shaking. _Someone help her!_, I yelled silently; pleading to deaf ears. Lenobia stepped forward out of deathly calm and placed a hand on Aphrodite's shoulder. This seemed to be the final catalyst for her and she fell to the ground, silently crying. Everyone left at Lenobia's look and I found myself thanking Nyx that someone was there for Aphrodite. God, she pretended to be tough, and she was, but sometimes I caught a glimpse of how truly vulnerable she was underneath. _Her parents hardly helped_, I mused darkly as she cried. _I swear if this ever works out, I'm going to find her parents and yell at them_. Pure rage danced through me and I felt something stir deep within me; the beast. I was dragged back to the meadow and the last things I saw were Aphrodite's wet blue eyes staring at me in pain and confusion.

In the meadow, the darkness was slowly pushing back the light. The beast roared in approval and I saw Neferet standing outside the borders grinning.

"Come on Zoey, just a little more and then you'll truly be mine!" her insipid voice leaked through every crack in my mind and I tried to shelter myself from it but the light shrank even further. In desperation, I began to run through happy memories but the beast always replied with sad ones. I remembered taking over the Dark Daughter's but the beast remembered Stevie-Rae dying. I remembered my friends but I was then forced to replay the scene when they lost trust in me; Neferet as a warm, kind and caring person quickly followed by the memory of our last encounter in the meadow. Aphrodite filled my head suddenly. The curve of her cheekbones and her Botticelli blue eyes; cascading golden hair and quick sarcastic retorts. Bloodshot eyes after visions, her crying in the corridor. But not a single memory of her was negative. Sure, there were some bad images but none of them could stoke the beast's rage and blood-thirst. The light slowly stopped shrinking before remaining in a steady circle around me. Neferet hissed in rage but suddenly she stopped and grinned at me.

"Ah well, it looks like our time here is coming to an end. See you in the real world Zoey!" she cackled before disappearing into a wave of blackness. I bent my head and cried as the meadow faded and I was thrust back into the black smog of Neferet.

**AN: Sorry for the long wait but I've had exams. Important ones. You should really be thanking Daretotry 12 for making me write this. I needed a bit of heckling and she only had to send me one message before I updated! Really, it's an improvement! And I don't know why I'm trying to justify myself. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. AND YOU BRILLIANT PEOPLE HAVE REVIEWED OVER 100 TIMES FOR ME! We've burst that barrier! WOOHOO! It's the first time; I've ever got over a hundred reviews! I'd like to thank all of the truly fantastic people on fanfiction who helped me get this far. It's everyone who reviewed or messaged me with ideas! Basically, anyone who is reading this, SO THANKS!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'. I feel like I must warn you that there will be rape in this chapter. **

Chapter Fifteen: Nightmare World

Zoey POV 

A cold, cool surface lay beneath me. I shivered and my eyes flickered open before slamming shut under the harsh fluorescent lighting. A hand caressed my face gently before sharp nails dug into my cheek. My eyes opened instinctually and I gazed into the cold, green depths that were Neferet's eyes. Her eyes, although they still held colour, were paler and the black pupils seemed brighter. A smile reached her lips but not her eyes and I'm pretty sure I may have been hyperventilating at that moment. Trust me when I say waking up with Neferet in your face is not the best way to start your day; or night for that matter.

"You ever heard of personal space Neferet?" I asked her. Funnily enough, that may not have been the best course of action. Her pupils turned darker for a second and shadow coated the hand that was touching my face. The shadow leapt from her hand and onto my face before fading through my skin. I jerked as a white hot pain slammed through me. It was like someone was breaking all the bones in my fingers and rubbing them together, like someone had shoved theirs hands into my skull and dug their nails into my brain. I became aware of chains binding me as I fought to keep my mouth shut. _I'm not going to scream, I'm not going to scream, I'm not going to give that bitch the satisfaction,_ I thought. I kept my eyes on Neferet and she arched an eyebrow in surprise. The pain faded and I began to breathe heavily.

"You didn't scream. After taking you so easily this afternoon, I had almost begun to think that you were weak without the beast. I am glad to be proven wrong as this will just make things so much more _interesting_" As she said the final word, her hand caressed my face again. I tried to move away but her hand gripped my face tighter as she moved in one fluid movement to straddle me. What is it with her and getting on top of me? I had a horrible sinking feeling when I realised I'd been stripped. Even Neferet wasn't that evil. And even if she was, Aphrodite would come. She promised me she would. She promised. I tried to reopen the mental connection between us but my rising fear blocked my concentration and made it impossible. Neferet must have felt my fear by using that freaky new power of hers. She leant back and closed her eyes; inhaling deeply. She leant her head forwards again and her hands moved to grip my shoulders. Her eyes had lost their colour and blackness had overtaken them. The beast in me roared at the sight, drinking in the carnal pleasure and pain that gaze promised me. The harsh lighting in the room only served to enhance Neferet's shadows that curled around a wave of auburn hair that had come loose from behind her ear. Her breathing was louder and she panted above me. She tipped her head back again, hips beginning to grind against mine, and laughed before returning her gaze to me.

"Your fear is so wonderful Zoey. Oh, it's fantastic!" Great. The most psycho bitch I've ever met is currently straddling me and getting off on my fear. Just brilliant. I closed my eyes again and concentrated on controlling my fear. No way was I going to let Neferet use me like this. Her hips stopped grinding and nails dug into my shoulders as I opened my eyes to be greeted with an angry, frustrated Neferet.

"If you want to get off, go find your boyfriend. I'm sure he'd be happy to help" I snarled at her. Wait, snarled? I've been around Aphrodite for far too long. My thoughts were interrupted as nails dug deeper and I winced as I felt blood trickle down my back. Her nostrils flared and she brought her right hand to her face and licked the blood off her hand. She smiled a blood-tinged smile before moving forward and latching her teeth into the side of my neck. Instead of the pleasure I felt when I bit Aphrodite, I felt a mixture of pain and pleasure that I'm ashamed to say made me half-mad with want. Neferet continued to suck and my hips jerked against her. My mind was taking the backseat in this as my body took over; the beast took over. The pleasure built and built as her hands ran over my body and used the shadows to stimulate the sensitive nerve endings. Everything became hazier as she took more and more of my blood and Aphrodite's face lingered in my mind and I finally gained some control. At least, enough to choke out the words "Stop! Please, stop!" She didn't listen to me and I tried to shove her off but she grabbed my hands in hers and slammed them back onto the table top. I writhed underneath her and tried to move my neck away. It didn't work and she responded with a muffled growl before biting down harder. Pain lanced through my neck and I screamed in agony. Neferet's right hand had shadows dancing round it. She moved it back and leant backwards, my blood dripping from her lips, before she plunged her right hand into me causing pain like I'd never known before to crash through me. The last thing I saw as I screamed was her smiling face and the last thing I heard was,

"Your screams are worth the wait"

**AN: Sorry for the wait. Yes Neferet raped Zoey. No, she's not going to get over this easily. Before I wrote this, I realised that something serious had to happen to Zoey. It couldn't be just torture. Zoey is strong enough to come back from something like that. I was originally just going to have Neferet mentally torture her but it wasn't right when I wrote it. I apologise if what I have chosen to happen to Zoey offends anyone but this is the way the story had to go and I hope you will continue to read it. Let me just say one thing though, before you hopefully review, Aphrodite will be able to bring Zoey back but Zoey will never be the same as she once was and she will be in constant danger of giving in to the beast within. I don't know if she will yet or how I will play with the canon of the books. That's ultimately for you to decide. Sorry If I'm a bit sombre today but I felt that a chapter like this shouldn't be ended with an evil rant/joke. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

_Azuri-chan: Zoey is very apathetic in this chapter and very despairing and depressed. Things get better towards the end though._

Chapter Sixteen: Aphrodite

Zoey POV

My eyes gazed at the smooth plastered ceiling. I felt numb inside. Like someone had reached inside and flicked the off switch on my emotions. I felt the chains cut into my skin but I didn't try to move. After all, what was the point? Neferet would come back again and I'd be in pain again. The door opened but I just lay apathetically on the table. I didn't even bother to see who it was. I closed my eyes and heard footsteps cross the room towards me. I opened them again. Kalona stood over me but he wasn't looking at me in lust or rage like Neferet had; he looked sad.

"Neferet has broken you Zoey Redbird. My Aya has been buried so deep inside you; she may never reach the surface again." He paused and frowned. "This is not right. You are not meant to be like this!" His voice took on a tone of frustration "I've had glimpses of the future Zoey and you are meant to be legendary! You are meant to be brilliant! To the vampyres you will be like a comet, a shooting star, spreading hope of a better world, where humans and vampyres work in harmony! I would have done everything in my power to stop you Zoey but it would not have been enough. Not nearly enough. I don't know what will happen now and I fear that Neferet will live uncontested on earth" He looked straight into my eyes and I felt something stir. I was meant to be brilliant? I was going to change the world? Kalona sighed again and bent his head. "This is wrong" he whispered before leaving. I continued to gaze at the ceiling as he left. Hesitantly, I searched my mind for Aphrodite. I found her little bundle of blocked emotions tucked away in a corner. I released the block around my mind and I felt pure love shoot through me as Aphrodite reconnected with my mind. Water dripped down my face and I realised that I was crying. _Shh, Zoey its okay. Its okay, I'm here now _crooned Aphrodite. I felt her worry turn to horror as she sifted through my recent memories. _Aphrodite, are you angry with me? _I asked her as I felt her horror turn to pure unabated rage. _I could never be angry with you Zoey. Well, I could be but I'm not angry with you right now. When I find that bitch, I'm going to kill her! All I need is some holy water to get rid of that slut! _I continued to cry and Aphrodite quickly calmed down. _No Zoey, don't cry, don't cry. I'm coming for you, I promise. Have I ever let you down before? Wait, don't answer that. _Despite myself, a strangled laugh escaped my lips as I continued to cry. _See, laughing is good, laughing is way better than crying!_ Pure reams of love streamed from Aphrodite to me and I felt like I was a kid again, just coming into the warm house after being out in the snow and my mom was waiting for me with a hot chocolate, the time when my older sister (before she became slutty) had beaten up someone who was bullying me and when my little brother had spent all of his evenings for a month just chatting to me after I had fallen out of a tree and broken my leg so badly I couldn't go to school. The door slamming open interrupted my reverie and I looked to see Neferet there. The darkness around her solidified as she rushed towards me.

"No, No! What's happening?" she hissed. I looked at my skin and saw a silver light glowing there. It was the same light that had bound our circle. It was spirit. Neferet reached out to touch me but the silver light caressed her hand and she jerked back like she'd been stung. _Hah, take that, you bitch!_, yelled Aphrodite.However, my chains remained strong against spirit. Neferet growled at me as she paced the room. "Spirit won't always be there Zoey. I can wait for it to fade and then I will have to start again. You will embrace the beast. Sooner or later" She strode out and the door slammed again. _Zoey, I'm coming for you! I'm coming! You will never be like her; I won't let you be like her! I'm coming for you! _

AN: I thought you might like this quote as it pretty much sums up the chapter. "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

**Bill Cosby**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Azuri-chan: Zoey's rape is mentioned but not in any detail. This chapter should be alright.

Chapter Seventeen: Hope

Zoey POV

Spirit continued to glow around me as I fell into a peaceful sleep. I didn't visit my meadow but I fell straight next to Aphrodite as she strode down the corridors. Red fledgelings ducked out of her way as she stormed towards the main living area. Shekinah and Lenobia were talking quietly on a couch but they both stood up as Aphrodite entered.

"Are you alright?" asked Lenobia. Aphrodite nodded.

"I managed to make contact with Zoey" she said. Shekinah immediately looked happier.

"How is she? Is she fine? Has Neferet done anything to her?" asked Shekinah quickly. I think she was hoping that Neferet hadn't gone too far. _Too late for that_, I thought.

"She's alive. No she's not fine. Neferet tortured her. I'm going to go get her and this time you're not stopping me" Aphrodite said, her jaw tensing. Shekinah sighed and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Aphrodite, we are not going to let you go to your certain death" She sounded irritated. Aphrodite snorted before turning on her heels and striding through the tunnels towards the entrance. Shekinah and Lenobia hurried after her.

"Aphrodite, please listen! I know your upset-" Aphrodite stopped and turned to face her.

"Upset? Oh, I'm beyond _upset_. I'm pissed off! The girl I love has been tortured and raped by a psychopathic bitch who wants her to turn to the dark side! I am not going to leave her there for a moment longer! I am going to go and get her, just like I promised, and that is FINAL!" roared Aphrodite; something familiar to me glinted in her eyes. Lenobia and Shekinah took a step back and I saw absolute fear on the faces of my friends who were standing behind them. Aphrodite turned again and began to climb the ladder. She was already out of the manhole by the time they had managed to shake themselves out of their fear. Shaunee immediately followed her and Erin quickly climbed up too. Damien grabbed Jack and kissed him thoroughly before letting him go and climbing out of the manhole too. Stevie-Rae ghosted past the two shocked adult vampyres and turned to look at them.

"I think it's better if you two stay here. Zoey needs her circle right now but after we're done, she's gonna need you. Anyway, you're the only two people I trust to look after my fledgelings" She nodded to them before she began to climb the ladder. Venus moved forward and gazed up. Stevie-Rae looked down at her. "Sorry Venus but you're too damn important to me for me to risk you" She leant down through the hole and Venus climbed up a couple of rungs. Their lips met briefly before Stevie-Rae leaned back and shut the manhole. _How much have I missed?_, I wondered before Nyx's darkness descended and I woke up in my meadow again.

Wind rippled through the silver grass as I sighed and collapsed into a comfortable dell in the earth. The vibrant flowers glowed and waved around me.

"Nyx, keep them safe from harm. Please don't let Aphrodite do anything stupid" I whispered. The wind caressed my cheek before flowing away again to disturb the bright waters. Images shivered through the water and I sighed before leaning back to gaze at the clear night sky above. Dark clouds covered the sky in a flash and I sat up to gaze at the edge of the field. Neferet stood there in all her creepy glory. I stood up and faced her. _I'm not going to run this time_, I swore to myself. Our eyes locked and she strode towards me. A spear of darkness shot towards me but I summoned spirit and it glowed around my hands as I knocked the spear away. I crouched into a defensive position and Neferet glared at me. Just as she was about to try again, she suddenly stopped walking and cocked her head sideways like she was listening to something.

"No that's impossible! They can't be, they wouldn't!" The darkness swallowed her and she quickly disappeared. I was suddenly thrown into blackness too as my mind rejoined my body. My eyes opened and a thud shook the room. The ceiling cracked and dust fell in sheets.

"What the hell have I missed?" I wondered out loud.

**AN: I apologise if this is not up to my usual standard but I just felt like writing for some odd reason. Anyway, I have bad news for you, my faithful readers. I am on holiday in Malta for two weeks and since there is no internet connection, I won't be able to write any more for quite some time. I will reply to each and every review as soon as I am able. Don't worry, I'm going to make Zoey and Neferet have a big showdown in real life as soon as possible. ** **It is going to be epic! On another, more random note, I just saw Toy story 3! It's brilliant and I have to admit that I was crying in the end. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Azuri-chan: Mentions of torture and dried blood. Merely suggestive without the use of imagination but with, well, your choice.

Chapter Eighteen: Never Piss off Aphrodite

Zoey POV

Another thud shook the room. The dark chains around me shimmered. I heard loud voices in the corridor outside. It wasn't Neferet though. It was a man and a woman. They sounded familiar. Where did I hear their voices before? They stopped right outside my door and the woman shouted quite clearly,

"In Nyx's name I command you to open!" The door shuddered and creaked before being blasted open. My mouth fell open in surprise and I started coughing on the dust. It was Anastasia! And she wasn't zombiefied! I saw the corner of Dragon's short yet bulky frame in the doorway. He was turned away. Anastasia rushed over to me and the look in her eyes made me feel like crying. She smiled softly at me and studied my chains for a couple of moments. She pressed her hands to either side of the manacle around my wrist and, bringing her lips to the chain, whispered "Open, dark chain, and release your prisoner in the name of Nyx". The chain shuddered slightly before clicking open. I reclaimed my wrist and studied the raw patch around it. Anastasia circled the table I was on and opened each manacle. I shivered as the cool air touched raw skin and scratches made by cruel nails. I sat up and placed my legs on the floor; dried blood cracking. Anastasia lightly touched my shoulder. I flinched at the feel of her hand. "Come Zoey. Aphrodite's waiting for you".

"What? But how?" my voice was rough and cracked.

"We will explain all after you are back in the tunnels. Dragon! Can I have your coat please?" I looked at her like she was crazy. Why would I need a coat? My mind clicked as I saw him toss it back to us. It was long and since I didn't have any clothes, perfect for a quick getaway. She passed it to me and I shrugged it on. My fingers shook as I did the buttons so Anastasia did them for me.

"Thanks Dragon" I said as we exited the room. He was shocked at how I looked before he covered it up with a smile.

"No problem Ms Redbird. Now we should leave. Your friends have created a distraction around the back walls" Another thud shook the hallway and he paused. "A very loud and destructive distraction. We're heading to the front gates to escape." I frowned.

"The front gates? Isn't that a bit obvious?" I asked him. He grinned and the twin dragons around his face seemed to come alive for a second.

"Last time I saw Kalona, Shaunee had set him on fire. Neferet, well, she wasn't quite so lucky. All of the Ravenmockers and the sons of Erebus were trying to help them. Besides, we're taking a car to the tunnels" The corridor shook again. We headed towards the cars. As we hurried, I turned to Anastasia.

"What happened to Neferet?" She gained a gleam in her eye that can only be called satisfaction.

"Damien and Erin surprised her while Aphrodite sneaked behind her with a baseball bat. I believe Aphrodite managed to get her in the face before being forced to retreat" That sounded like Aphrodite to me. I checked the bond as we rushed towards the cars. Frustration and rage beamed off Aphrodite; a wave of love was sent to me when Aphrodite felt my mind brush hers. _Don't worry Zoey, I broke Neferet's nose, she's not going to be concentrating on you for awhile_. I smiled slightly before shaking myself and increasing my speed. I didn't want to be here a second longer than I had to be. We reached the car park and Dragon led us over to a big, black SUV-type monster vehicle. It looked like it could fall over the edge of a cliff and only be dented slightly. I quickly climbed in the back while Dragon took the driver's seat and Anastasia grabbed the shotgun position. A small, ADD part of me wondered why it was called 'shotgun' as Dragon started the car and immediately drove through the gates. We drove along the streets and Dragon started muttering to himself.

"We take the second right, no, the third one! Or was it the second left?" I saw the curve of Anastasia's lips as she smiled.

"It was the third left dear, from what I can remember from Lenobia" Dragon didn't acknowledge her but he did take the third left turning. Anastasia just shook her head in amusement.

"Lenobia? What does she have to do with it?" I asked. Anastasia turned in her seat to look at me.

"Lenobia helped to coordinate your rescue Zoey. Apparently after Aphrodite and the others left, she decided they'd need her help" I looked at her in surprise before a surge of gratitude filled me. Lenobia had helped. For a brief second, I wished it had been her who was my mentor and not Neferet; she would've been a better mentor. _Yeah, she isn't that bad for someone who spends the majority of their time around horses_ muttered Aphrodite mentally. I smiled at her comment. I'd missed having her in my head; even if she did drive me crazy on occasion. A burst of affection came from Aphrodite as she replied, _Yeah, yeah, I missed having you in my head too, you sap_. I grinned again and turned to look out of the car window. Maybe, I'd be alright.

**AN: I'm back! Sorry it took so long but I had a bit of writers block after two weeks, in the sun, doing nothing. Its' such a hard life isn't it? Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I kind of slipped out of the style of the books but I hope its still pretty close. I was going to kill off Dragon before I decided to keep him as a bit of comic relief. Oh, and a mention about Anastasia's magic. Only she can use invocations. I mean, she is the Spells and Rituals teacher right? The way I figured it, she has some pretty awesome magic under her belt. Please read and review, flamers welcome along with constructive criticism. I hope you've all had good holidays. Till next time folks! **

P.S I thought you'd appreciate this quote of Oscar Wilde. He has all the best ones I swear. _ I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night'**

Azuri-chan:

Chapter Nineteen: The Flipside

Zoey POV

Dragon parked the car about a street away from the red fledgelings headquarters. The streets were empty as we hurried towards the entrance and the beast deep within laughed as we passed a smear of dried blood on the pavement. I could smell the stench of fear and pain that lingered there and I quickly swallowed to stop myself from vomiting. What had Neferet done to me? I saw a sliver darkness curl around my hand before dissipating in the cool evening breeze. Anastasia touched my shoulder lightly and I flinched away from her touch. The previous happiness I had felt on leaving had…gone. Just like that, a swing of the emotional pendulum and now I was back in depressed mode again. A sense of worry came from Aphrodite and I felt her speeding up her retreat.

"Zoey" whispered Anastasia; my head snapped up and I looked into her eyes. She seemed to shake at what she saw there before speaking again in a stronger voice. "We must head underground; it's safer there. Aphrodite will be joining us shortly, and Shekinah will need to heal your injuries" I looked at her again and I felt the beast roar in anger and for a brief moment, I shared its wrath. I felt powerful and commanding; the world could bow at my feet while I watched it burn…yet, I also felt how filthy, how tainted the darkness inside of me was and I thrust it away. I nodded to Anastasia before going over to the open manhole that Dragon stood beside and made my way down. Worry, an intense, angry worry came from Aphrodite and I could feel her impatience from where I stood in the dark, underground corridor. I moved away from the ladder and Anastasia came to stand beside me, Dragon soon followed and we moved along the corridors to the main living area; to Shekinah and Lenobia. The darkness twisted as I passed and I could feel the beast trying to break its chains. I stopped and leaned against a wall, blocking out Anastasia's worried voice. My eyes closed and I focused on how much I hated, _loathed_ this beast, on how much I loved Nyx but it wasn't enough. Anastasia ordered Dragon to run ahead and get Shekinah while she stayed with me; he hesitated before taking off as fast as his feet could carry him. **When I gain control, maybe I'll cut off those feet** mused a deep, dark voice in my mind; the voice of the beast. **Of course, I'd only do that after forcing him to watch his wife die over several days; not only would his mind be broken but his body as well. A fitting punishment for someone who serves my enemy. **I shook my head in vain as images of torture, depravity and above all, power flitted through my mind. The beast took amusement at my discomfort and sent even more images dancing through my head; crucifixion, stoning, the world burning as I stood there and laughed. **You really must stop with all this beast business; I am you. You are me. Admittedly, before Neferet stepped in I was so much more primal than this, more like an instinct really. **An image of Neferet writhing with ecstasy as the beast, no, me, 'thanked' her for her work. **Hmm, yes. I think I shall have to thank her for this, for corrupting the strongest follower of Nyx is no easy task but she has almost managed to turn you; if only you two had had a few more hours together. **Strong hands gripped my forehead and my eyes opened to gaze into Shekinah's; she was staring into me with such fierceness that we recoiled under her gaze. She backed me up against the wall and I felt a vague sense of Aphrodite pierce the darkness surrounding my mind. She was screaming at us mentally, using so many swearwords that the old me, before there was us, would've blushed. _Stop blocking her fucking mind to me you bastard son of a weasel! You bloody, interfering piece of trailer fucking trash! I'll beat the shit out of you if I have to! I don't care if I have to drag your fucking fat ass into the physical world to do it; cause I'll find a fucking way you piece of motherfucking garbage! _ She took a mental breath in her tirade, and I felt old memories coming to the surface. Memories of when I was weak…no, not weak, happy. Shekinah muttered something under her breath and I writhed at her touch.

"I won't lose this one to you Beast. I won't lose anyone to you, ever again" she whispered. A mild displeasure entered the beast as I began to separate myself from it and I could swear that it sighed. **No matter; this is but a brief interruption Zoey. You can never be rid of yourself; no matter how hard you may try. Neferet certainly tried but she was unable to fight me off in the end; if a woman with several years more experience than you could not defeat me, what makes you think that you can? **_I have my friends_, I whispered back. The beast snorted. **Neferet had her mentor, the high priestess of all of you pathetic so-called vampyres, on her side. If her mentor, her **_**lover**_**, could not save her, what makes you think you stand a chance against me? I can wait lifetimes Zoey, I have never lost a battle yet, I can pounce when you are weak; you will **_**never **_**be free of me. I will win this. **_No you won't, _I replied, my mental voice growing in strength. **Oh? And why is that? What do you have that countless people, Neferet, didn't have? **A sick amusement filled the beast. _I have Aphrodite, I have Shekinah, and I have Lenobia, Dragon and Anastasia. I have Damien and, Jack. I have Erin and I have Shaunee. I have Stevie-Rae. I have people who love me; people who I won't fail. But most of all, I have Nyx on my side. I will not fail her and if I come close to failing her; Aphrodite will haul my ass back into line. _The beast laughed before beginning to retreat under Shekinah's onslaught. **I'm going to take you over Zoey and when I do, I think I'll kill those people first; starting with Aphrodite.** The beast faded and I felt Aphrodite's warmth encircling my mind. She was coming closer. I sighed and sagged in Shekinah's grip. She held onto me, keeping me upright, and just as I was beginning to pass out, I heard the tapping of someone running in stilettos. _Aphrodite_, my mind whispered and I felt a warmer, stronger pair of arms encircle me as the darkness took my mind again.

**AN: Sorry, about the long wait for an update. It's just that I've been really busy as this is the year I take my GCSE's. Ah well, Karma has wreaked its justice as I am now ill once again. My friends, being the lovely people that they are, decided to share their misery and I am now part of the 'cold-and-sore-throat-just-kill-me-now' club. We're a really fun lot. We meet up every winter and pass various viruses to each other while buying strepsils and paracetamols in bulk from the club petty cash box.*coughs* Anyway, as I said before, I'm sorry for the wait. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, especially the 'multiple' review I got from one group of friends that reviewed together; Thanks. Big shout out to Hazelstar; keep hanging on in there buddy. And also to Daretotry 12 who has kindly agreed to write the sex scene between Zoey and Aphrodite, thanks, I couldn't have done it without you sweetheart. I hope school is going well for you Azuri-chan and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Niahmus Raticus: a bad joke right about now would really help as I'm feeling particularly crappy today. Okay, I think that's everyone. I will probably mention some other brilliant and fantastic reviewers in the next chapter. Which basically means all of you. Seriously, you guys are brilliant. I think we've burst the 150 review barrier. Well, before I start tearing up, anyone who reads this, please review. Flamers, constructive criticism and people who just want to say 'Hi' are welcome. **

**p.s I'm thinking of writing the whole Shekinah and Neferet story down as sort of a prequel to this story. It will explore their origins and the beast's origin more closely. AnimeLOVER152 gave me the idea and I will remain eternally thankful for it, but, I want to know if you lot would like to read a prequel story? I'm about to create a new poll on my account, so if you do, please vote. Any plot suggestions or young characters that you want to see, just tell me. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night' nor do I own the mirror thing from 'Heroes'; I readily admit I stole that idea. **

Azuri-chan: Nothing too bad in this chapter. Admittedly there is a semi-mental breakdown that resolves itself in the form of self-mutilation but it's not because she's depressed or anything like that…

Chapter Twenty: What is real? 

Zoey POV

_A soft mattress supported my body, and the aches of lying on a stone slab for hours on end had all but disappeared. A pair of warm arms encircled me protectively and I felt a soft breath flutter over my ear every now and then. The scent of vanilla wafted around my nose and I instinctively burrowed deeper into the set of arms holding me; Aphrodite's arms. I felt her shoulder muscles shift underneath my head as her arms moved to hold me closer. Her long hair fell on my face and my eyes twitched open as she brushed it away. I opened my eyes and stared into the black depths that looked back. __**You are mine Zoey; remember that **__said the Beast with Aphrodite's voice. A scream built in my throat and _I woke up; bolting away from the arms that had loosely held me. I kept my back to the wall, breathing heavily, while my brain kicked in and processed the look on Aphrodite's face as she stood up slowly. A glimmer of surprise at my sudden movement had faded and now, all I felt was worry and fear from her. She seemed unsure of what to do; I took the decision away from her as I spied the roughly hewn doorway in the tunnel rock and raced through it. The darkness was not quite as thick as it had been to me before and I ghosted past several people in the tunnels. The red fledgelings followed me with their eyes as I blurred past them but before they could even think about following me, I was gone. I quickly reached the entrance to the old building above the tunnels and entered. An old, worn flight of stairs took me up to the very top floor where I ran into a disused bathroom. A dirty wall mirror reflected my panting, tired-looking self as I slid down the tiled wall and sat heavily on the floor. I could feel Aphrodite trying to pinpoint my location using the imprint but I closed her off; now was not the time for us to talk. I drew my knees up and embraced my legs; placing my chin in the cleft between my knees. A sudden sob wracked my body, a proper snot-filled sob.

**Oh, come now Zoey! Surely my little reminder couldn't have been that bad? **A flicker of movement caught my eye and I looked up into the mirror where my reflection was slowly uncurling itself and standing upright. My reflections pupils were black and from where I was sitting on the floor, I could see a wreath of darkness curling through the reflections hair. It leant back against the mirror wall and smiled; exposing a row of white, sharp teeth. Horror filled me as I gazed at this darker me. It laughed and said **Zoey, Zoey, Zoey. I told you, you couldn't escape me. I am everywhere your eyes see! Admittedly, I am not here in the flesh, but manipulating your mind so we can have this little chat is good enough for now. **

"Get out! Get out of my head!" I yelled. The beast rolled its eyes.

**We've been through this Zoey. I am a part of you. You are a part of me. I am the yin to your yang, the dark to your light, the Caesar to your Senate, the villain to your hero. **It sighed suddenly. **Unfortunately, I cannot live without you. **A smile appeared as it uttered the next words. **And you cannot live without me.** I stood up, leaning against the tile wall; unconsciously mimicking the beast's pose.

"I want you to shut up and go back to whatever dark corner you've been lurking in" I said, trying to be firm. The beast just rolled its eyes again and began to inspect its nails. **Sorry, no can do. I rather like my freedom and I'm going to take your freedom from you; I can't just abandon my plan now! That would just be sloppy and weak. **A look of disgust flicked across its face as it looked up at me. **And I don't do weak, you do weak. **It snorted. **That's what attracted you to Heathy boy remember? I mean, ugh! How much more weak could you get? At least I've managed to lay claim to your current mate. She'll be marginally more fun to break. **I frowned.

"What do you mean 'lay claim'? If you're talking about Aphrodite, you have so got the wrong person" I snorted suddenly at the thought. I really doubted Aphrodite had ever submitted to anyone, well, except for that time when I went batshit crazy on her after seeing Stevie-Rae drink Venus's blood…. Oh no. Oh, shit. The beast grinned. Anger suddenly filled me. A haze of red descended and my blood began to pump faster and faster.

**You see? She's mine now too. **A deep growl erupted from my chest; my anger was all-consuming. The beast immediately stood up straight and stretched its spine before moving into a catlike pose; a fighting pose. Another growl echoed off the cold, clinical tiled walls as I assessed my **enemy**.

It smiled again.

I curled my hands into fists.

It opened its mouth.

My knees bent; ready to leap.

**She,**

My knees uncurled and I launched myself at the mirror.

**Is,**

My fist came up ready to smash it into a thousand shards.

**Mine. **The beast finished and smiled as I released a primal roar and shattered the mirror to bits.

"SHE WILL NEVER BE YOURS!" I screamed, my vocal chords tearing at the pure ferocity in that single scream. I hit the spot on the wall where the beasts face had been again and again. Bits of mirror lodged in my skin and were pushed in deeper as I continued to hit the wall. Running feet sounded in the background as I continued to hit the wall. A raw screaming sound came out of my damaged throat as someone grabbed my arms to stop me from hitting the wall again. I strained against their hold and I heard a gasp of shock as I twisted my arms from their grip and, without looking back behind me the entire time, body slammed them into the wall. My fists found the dented tile again and I continued to hit the same spot. I heard more running feet but I didn't care. How dare that, that _thing_ dare to claim Aphrodite! She was mine! Mine! Several pairs of arms grabbed me and I tried to fight but a strong hand gripped the back of my head and I heard someone, no, Anastasia, cry

"In the name of Nyx, I order you to calm and sleep!" My arms felt heavier and sluggish, my eyelids drooped and every iota of strain in my body relaxed. My mind stilled and an unwelcome darkness enveloped my thoughts. Deep down, the beast chuckled. **At least I don't make you do anything you don't want to**.

**AN: Wow, this was longer than usual. I apologise for the wait of, two weeks? I think it was two weeks. It may've been longer… Anyway, please let me know what you think of this chapter! I've managed to get rid of my cold and on October 18th, it's my birthday! I'm going to be 16! I can learn to drive a moped if I want to! Not that I want to, but, you know, I _could_, if I really wanted to. I'm also starting on the prequel to 'What We Are'. At the moment it is untitled, and I refuse, on the principle that its cliché and that it sounds stupid, to call it 'What We Were'. Maybe I'll go for irony and call it 'Paragon'. I don't know; I guess I'll have to figure that out! **

**Thanks to everyone that's reviewed! As promised, here are a couple more dedications to some wonderful reviewers: Slices, ShelbyO, watching-quietly, hphglover, KittySquyres and Zelda's Hero. There are many more of you wonderful, brilliant people who review and you all keep the insults about my updating speed to a minimum! As always, Flamer, constructive criticism and anybody who just wants to say 'Hi!' are welcome! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night' nor do I own the mirror thing from 'Heroes'; I readily admit I stole that idea. **

Azuri-chan: Nothing graphic here. Just emotional self-loathing, am-I-worth-it stuff.

Chapter Twenty-one: And What is Not?

Zoey POV

_A soft mattress supported my body, and the aches of lying on a stone slab for hours on end had all but disappeared. A pair of warm arms encircled me protectively and I felt a soft breath flutter over my ear every now and then. The scent of vanilla wafted around my nose and I instinctively burrowed deeper into the set of arms holding me; Aphrodite's arms. I felt her shoulder muscles shift underneath my head as her arms moved to hold me closer. Her long hair fell on my face and my eyes twitched open as she brushed it away. I opened my eyes and stared into the black depths that looked back. __**You are mine Zoey; remember that **__said the Beast with Aphrodite's voice. A scream built in my throat and_ I woke up, trying to escape the arms that held me. Unfortunately, the arms seemed to be expecting this and they tightened their grip.

"Shh, Zoey. Shh. I've got you, you're okay" a voice crooned in my ear; Aphrodite's voice. But what if it was another trick again? What if it wasn't her? What if it was the Beast again? I didn't want to open my eyes, in case I saw those dark irises gazing back at me. Worry, fear and panic built up inside of me and I continued to struggle until I felt the soft touch of Aphrodite's mind brush mine. Our imprint was open again. _Shh, Zoey. It's okay. It's me. I love you Zoey; I won't let you go ever again, I promise_. Pure, unadulterated love was sent by Aphrodite through our bond. I stopped struggling and opened my eyes. Blue irises looked deeply into my eyes and I relaxed into Aphrodite's arms. Contentment and calm filled me as I gazed into her eyes.

"Aphrodite?" I whispered.

"Yeah it's me, you dork" replied Aphrodite, smiling with tears running down her cheeks. I reached up and brushed away her tears. I felt disconnected but an unbearable sadness seeped into every part of my being as I watched Aphrodite cry and knowing I was the cause of it. I moved my hand away from her cheek and her eyes narrowed before she quickly moved her right hand from my waist and grabbed my retreating hand. _Don't you dare martyr yourself about this Zoey. It's that bitch who's to blame. Not you. Never you, _her mental voice was laced with steel. _But Aphrodite-_ I started but her growl cut me off. "No. You. Are. Not. To. Blame. Deal with it, Zoey" She then hooked an arm underneath my legs and pulled me closer until she was practically cradling me. Her arms moved to form a protective circle that met at the base of my back; her thumb lightly stroked the skin that had been revealed as my t-shirt had been hitched up. I sighed and leant my head on her shoulder. Sometimes there were times when you just couldn't argue with Aphrodite; it seemed that this was one of those times. _Damn right!,_ Crowed Aphrodite and I smiled, glad that she would never change. She smiled as well and bent her head so our foreheads were pressing against each other. It suddenly registered that I was clean, and I had changed clothes. A surge of embarrassment and pain swept through me. I pulled back from Aphrodite and worry entered her eyes as she frowned.

"Aphrodite, who, who changed me? And washed me?" I'm sure a slight note of hysteria had entered my voice: I was praying to Nyx that it hadn't been Aphrodite, that she hadn't seen what had been done to me, oh gods, let her not have seen that. A look of exasperation flitted across her face.

"I did" she said; confirming my worst fear. I immediately tried to wriggle away but she held onto me tightly. How could she hold onto me, after seeing what Nef-, that woman, had done to me? Why wasn't she getting as far from me as possible? Nef-, that woman, had tainted me, darkened me, definitely done something to me to bring out the beast. A deepening sense of outrage was transmitted by Aphrodite and I also felt some, wait, that couldn't be right, fear _for me_? "Stop struggling Zoey. I need you to listen to what I have to say, and you can't do that while you're trying to pull an escape; so stop wriggling!" Her tone was what I had often imagined a strict, Victorian teacher using on some unruly child before caning them. I stopped wriggling. "Yes, I washed you. Yes, I dressed you. Even though Shekinah and Lenobia seemed to think they'd be better suited to the task; I did it. And do you want to know why?" Her eyes bored fiercely into mine. "I did it because you are mine. My friend, my family, my imprint, my mate, my lover. You are everything to me Zoey. Nothing about you could ever make me let you go. Nothing whatsoever. Not even if you grew a disgusting wart on your chin would I let you go" Her grip relaxed and she whispered in my ear, "I promise I won't" Nearly all of my self-loathing disappeared as I felt the pure force of her certainty in her tone. It seemed like I wouldn't be getting rid of Aphrodite for awhile then. That thought alone filled me with happiness and love. Or, as Shaunee and Erin would probably say 'You are so whipped'.

"I'm sorry, Aphrodite, for ever thinking you would" I whispered back and I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her with all the strength I possessed. She hugged me back and I tucked my face into the crook of her neck. The weak scent of her blood pounding beneath my face was enough to set me on edge and I tried to move away before Aphrodite became my talking, walking, wise-cracking fridge. However, she just held on and said to me,

"Go on. You need the blood, especially after what's happened" I turned my head back towards her neck and let my teeth scrape lightly along her skin. She shuddered in anticipation. I suddenly bit into her neck and her body arched into mine as much as it could. Warm, ambrosial blood filled my mouth and I swallowed it. Aphrodite's blood tasted like, like, a crackling fire in midwinter or cookie-dough ice cream on a hot day! I only took a little bit more before I gently disengaged my teeth and licked her wound, thinking _Heal_. Her wound stopped bleeding and I curled up on her lap. Her right hand moved back to rubbing the small of my back and we rested in a little bubble of calm for a couple of minutes. That is, until another thought occurred to me.

"Aphrodite?" I asked, looking up her peaceful face; her eyes were closed in happiness.

"Mmmmm, trying to enjoy the moment here Zoey" She cracked open an eye. "But, what is it?"

"When I was unconscious, I got these, um, visions of you and what you were doing" I felt her stiffen underneath me.

"Go on" her voice had taken a dark tone and both her eyes were open.

"Well, um, I was wondering if you could tell me…"

"Yesssss?" the's' was drawn out like the sound of a viper preparing to attack.

"What exactly is going on between Stevie-Rae and Venus?" I asked, innocently. Aphrodite first looked gobsmacked and then a look of sheer disbelief crossed her face. The corners of my lips quirked and I was trying very hard not to laugh. Okay, I was failing at this, I admit. I burst out into laughter and Aphrodite started to laugh too. We both sat there, literally crying from laughter. Any nerves or tension either of us had left just evaporated into thin air. Aphrodite wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Oh, Zoey. Thanks for that. I needed that" She turned to look at me and smiled before leaning forward and kissing me lightly on the lips. "I love you Zoey" she whispered as our foreheads touched.

"I love you too" I whispered back; leaning forward to kiss her again.

**AN: Okay, I realise that this kind of does nothing for the plot but I felt that I couldn't keep heaping depressing plot points on these two without giving them a break of sorts in which to sort out some personal issues they may have. I admit that Aphrodite maybe less witchlike than usual but, I think that in this case, Zoey is not the only one who is 'whipped'. Again, I apologise for the wait. I have posted the first chapter of the prequel to 'What We Are'. I've called it 'Mortal Coil' and in the first chapter I've explained the origin of the name. So, anyone who has read this, if you want to, you know, go and read 'Mortal Coil'; a review would be much appreciated. **

'**What We Are' has 187 reviews! 13 away from 200… Please, help me break this barrier. In author news, I had a German oral today (please withhold snickers) and I have picked my A-levels, which is slightly scary I admit. It seems like only yesterday, I was an enthusiastic, naïve young thing just entering the 'Big girls school' and now I look in the mirror and see that I have degenerated into a cynical, lazy sod…Oh, what happened? Anyway, please read and review! Constructive criticism, flamers and people who just want to say 'Hi!' are welcome. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night' nor do I own the mirror thing from 'Heroes'; I readily admit I stole that idea. **

Azuri-chan: No physical pain here. Just mental baggage. A lot of mental baggage.

Chapter Twenty-two: Conversations

Zoey POV

Aphrodite and me were stretched languidly alongside each other in the bed. Her arms were still wrapped around me and I admit, I just loved basking in the warmth she gave off. It was like I was next to my own, very personal, electric blanket. _Gee, thanks_, she mentally muttered, causing me to giggle. _Oh don't worry Aphrodite, I meant it as a compliment_. A mental snort came from her. _Yeah, yeah, just don't throw any water on me or I'll show you exactly how bad I can malfunction_. Her reply caused me to laugh again and Aphrodite tightened her arms around me slightly as she turned over onto her side and kissed me on the forehead.

"Mmmm, love you Zoey. I could quite happily stay in here with you for the rest of the day" she whispered in my ear as she settled down beside me again. I smiled at her and I was just about to reply when Shekinah walked into the room; okay, glided would be more accurate. Aphrodite's features instantly soured and a dark feeling of irritation, both Aphrodite's and mine, washed over me. _I spoke too soon_, Aphrodite growled. My hand squeezed hers but she didn't relax. I could feel Aphrodite preparing herself to manhandle (or is it womanhandle?) Shekinah out of the room if she tried anything with me. Aphrodite may respect her as the High Priestess of all Vampyres and as a powerful Vampyre in her own right but Aphrodite is Aphrodite; she wasn't about to let a little thing like respect stop her from doing what she wants.

"I came to see how you were Zoey, your friends are very worried but they did not want to bring your mate's wrath on their heads" Her voice was still as rich and musical as ever but her appearance was drastically different. There were huge bags under her eyes, her eyes themselves were dim and I could see that she was in a lot of pain.

"Too right they didn't" muttered Aphrodite but her heart wasn't in it as she took in Shekinah's appearance for herself. Shekinah inclined her head and smiled at Aphrodite but when she looked at my mate, there was sadness and regret in her eyes.

"I also came to talk to both of you about my experiences with _il fantasma oscuro_"

Her accent thickened as she spoke the last few words. I hadn't a clue what she had just said though it sounded good. She stared off into the distance for a second before shaking herself and saying,

"Translated into your tongue, it means the dark ghost. That is the name I gave it when I first met it in-"

She stopped suddenly and looked at me. Aphrodite stiffened beside me and wrapped her arms more tightly around me. I knew who she was talking about. Of course it was _her. _I sighed. I just couldn't escape her could I? She was everywhere I turned.

"When you first met it in Neferet right?" I said. Shekinah nodded. "Then you'd better tell me everything" _Are you sure Zoey? I mean, this can wait until later, until you're feeling better,_ said Aphrodite. I squeezed her hand again. _I'm sure_. Shekinah sighed and stood up. She began to pace back and forth.

"It was over a century ago when I first met her. We were at the Chicago House of Night, their High Priestess had died in her sleep and I had been sent by the Council from my own House of Night in Italy to Chicago to take over until a suitable candidate could be found. Neferet was marked very soon after I came to Chicago and it was clear that because of the extensive abuse she had suffered, regulated classes were not the best option. I had dealt with abused children before and frankly I was the only one who could keep her calm so I became her mentor and counsellor. We grew close, very close and Neferet seemed to recover from her abuse"

Shekinah paused and her voice grew weaker; cracking slightly. We both stayed quiet, even though I could tell Aphrodite was itching to make some sort of bitchy comment. "But then a letter came. The High Priestess of all Vampyres, my predecessor, Ephiny, had died and I had been chosen to take her place. I had no wish to be High Priestess but it was my duty to Nyx. Neferet, however didn't see it that way. In the weeks before I left, we argued over and over again. Something darker began to stir in her. It would appear every now and then but disappear just as quickly; it was like a ghost. A dark, dark ghost. Every time it appeared, I quickly learnt how to subdue it. Then Neferet began to control it by herself; or at least, that is what she led me to believe." Her hand reached down and gripped the edge of the bed. Her knuckles whitened and a grating laugh shook itself from her lips.

"And like the proverbial fool searching for lost gold: I believed her. Before I left for Italy, we both agreed that it would be best if we cut off all personal contact between each other. Of course, when she became High Priestess of Tulsa, I received reports but I had not seen her in person until she came to greet my plane all those days ago" Her eyes became distant as she looked into a memory long faded.

"She looked the same, just as beautiful, but she had changed so much. The Neferet I'd fallen in love with all those years ago was nowhere to be seen" Her voice quietened to a whisper

"And I'm starting to forget what that Neferet was like; that is what scares me the most"

Aphrodite's mind echoed with the sorrow of that statement and the hurt it brought as she kissed the top of my head and squeezed me once, tightly but quickly.

A lull descended over us; the room was quiet. I looked at Shekinah, she was hunched over, frail, like life had given her too much too handle and she was bent under its weight; Atlas holding the sky till everything ceases to be.

I stroked my fingers along Aphrodite's arm. Would she become like this if we-no, I-failed to keep the beast back?

Was it even a beast anymore? In the beginning, it had been pure instinct; devolution at its worst. But now, now it was something more, more subtle, more insidious; harder to fight. It had become what I imagined had fuelled the Spanish Inquisition at its worst, the people of Pontius Pilate as they cried for the death of a man who had done nothing but make them look in a mirror and see their true faces staring back at them. No, this thing, this _wraith_, was no longer a beast. It embodied the worst qualities of humanity, the qualities we all wish we don't have but are there, a nagging suspicion in your mind when you gaze into a mirror and your doppelganger's eyes. Shekinah had called it 'a dark, dark ghost'. And what are ghosts but memories of something that haunts us with every breath in our lungs and every beat of our heart? Yes, the beast was a ghost. It is a ghost that reminds me of how I treated Heath, how I just left my mother with the step-loser; I didn't try hard enough to help her. My Dad walked out on my Mom when me and my siblings were just kids. Had he seen what I'd become? Or did I just get it from him?

My thoughts turned darker and darker. At the corner of my mind I felt something stirring. It was…Oh God, it was…So tempting…but so horrible. It was the dying gasp, the final shudder, the whisper in the middle of the night, the sob when you think no-one can hear you, the creaking floorboard and stiff window that never quite fully shuts. It was the power of taking a life, of being in control of something so sturdy yet so easily taken. It promised power; power that came hand in hand with death.

I shuddered and held onto Aphrodite, turning my head so I could bury into the crook of her neck. My mind recoiled from the stirring in the back of my mind, the thing in the corner of my eye. I breathed in Aphrodite's sweet vanilla scent and breathed out. My body shook and shuddered again as I kept inhaling her scent; greedily sucking it all in. Aphrodite's arms tightened around me and I felt the displaced air waft over me as Shekinah sat down on the bed and gripped my leg. Power radiated through my body from where Shekinah held my leg in a vice-like grip. The ghost did not have time to fully manifest and it was beaten back easily. Aphrodite whispered sweet nothings into my ear and my shuddering started to slow and eventually it stopped. Water was on my cheeks and I realised I'd been crying. Shekinah's grip softened on my leg and it was more of a comforting hold now. I pulled back from Aphrodite. Just enough so I could look into her eyes.

"Promise me" My voice cracked. She looked confused, worried and so very afraid.

"Promise you what Zoey? Promise you what?" I was still crying as I pressed my forehead to hers and gripped her upper arms with my hands.

"Promise me that if you ever don't recognise me as the girl you fell in love with, if I stop being this Zoey" I released a choked sob and reached up with one hand to place a piece of hair that had come loose back behind her ear. I gave her the sad, sick smile people give when they cry and continued. "I want you to make sure that the ghost doesn't win, that it won't take me over like it did with Neferet" Her beautiful blue eyes clouded with fear.

"What are you asking me to do Zoey?"

"I'm asking you to kill me"

**AN: I apologise for how late this has been. Schoolwork has been piling up, my GCSEs are literally in three/four weeks time and I've been having some personal problems as well. I know that those aren't good excuses and I realise that the wait since my last update has been ridiculous; even for me. So I apologise again, but I can't say it won't happen again because it probably will. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and I hope I haven't tested your patience too much. Please continue to review; it's been awhile since I've written so I'd like your opinion on how this chapter came across. All Flamers and constructive criticism is welcome. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I don't own the 'House of Night' nor do I own the mirror thing from 'Heroes'; I readily admit I stole that idea. **

Chapter Twenty-three: No way, No How

Zoey POV

Aphrodite stared at me in shock. It took a few seconds for my statement to fully register in her mind. I felt her anger building through our bond. I extricated myself from her grasp and hopped off the bed; keeping my back to the wall.

"What?" she hissed, a feral look entering her eyes.

"Aphrodite, please-"

"Oh don't you say please to me about _that _little promise" she stood up and crossed her arms. "That, that is the most selfish thing I have _ever _heard cross your lips" I started to speak again but she cut me off. "No. Just no. You don't even get to think about something like that, okay? _That_ will never be an option" My eyes flickered to Shekinah's stiff form on the bed. Aphrodite saw where I was looking and growled. "If you go to her to get her to kill you, I swear by Nyx that I will find a way to resurrect your sorry ass so I can kill you myself!" She strode forward and grabbed me by the shoulders'; I felt like a deer trapped in her headlights. Shekinah quietly shuffled towards the door. "Leave and lose a limb" Aphrodite snarled without turning around. Shekinah stopped. "Now Zoey, listen to me, very carefully, so I don't have to beat my message through your thick skull. You are not going to die. I will not kill you. Nor will anybody else. And you know why? Reason A: you don't get to take the easy way out, you are going to fight this thing and win. Understood?" She paused and I nodded. "Okay reason B: anybody who tries to kill you will have to deal with me killing them very slowly with something painful, like a spike or something. Is that understood Shekinah?"

"Perfectly" she replied and Shekinah, instead of being mad that Aphrodite was treating her so disrespectfully, seemed almost amused.

"Okay" Aphrodite took a calming breath and released it in a whoosh "Now, reason C is the most important and it goes like this: I do not lose. Not now, not ever. And I will be damned if I lose this time. Okay?" I nodded and a faint hint of amusement reached me through our imprint as Aphrodite took a step back and looked at both me and Shekinah standing there silently; waiting for her orders.

"Oh yeah, I've still got it" Aphrodite said, smirking.


	24. Chapter 23 My Version

**Alright, folks! Now my part begins! Enjoy!**

Chapter 23: Facing the Others

Zoey's POV

Aphrodite looked stunned, her mouth hanging open. Out of the corner of my eye, Shekinah looked sad, but resigned.

"W-what?" Aphrodite stuttered. I took a tremulous breath.

"If I give in to the ghost, I need you to kill me, Aphrodite," I repeated.

"Zoey! I, I can't kill you! I love you," she protested, shaking. I grasped her arms to still her and shook my head, wincing at the wounds on my hand.

"Promise me," I said. "If you love me like you say, promise me that you'll kill me before I turn into Neferet. Please, Aphrodite, I won't be able to live with myself if I fail. Don't let me fail, Aphrodite! Promise me that you'll kill me. Please." My final plea was a choked whisper, and I was the one shaking now. Aphrodite looked devastated, but with a cry pulled me against her again. She drew several shaky breaths, her nose in my hair before putting her mouth by my ear.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay. I promise. I promise, Zoey."

"Thank you," I whimpered, and she held me tighter. We held each other, both sobbing, for an endless amount of time. Neither of us noticed that Shekinah had let us be, but it didn't matter.

When we finally calmed, we wiped each other's tears away. Aphrodite smiled weakly. "We should wash up. The nerd herd's going to have aneurisms soon if they don't see you."

I chuckled breathlessly. "Okay, let's go."

We washed our faces thoroughly, but nothing could be done about the red around our eyes. We walked hand in hand to the living room. Everyone was there, friends, red fledglings, professors, everyone. The moment my friends saw me, they leapt up. With a combined yell of "Zoey!" they ran to hug me.

For some reason, probably trauma and my ever worsening insanity, I didn't see them coming to hug me. I saw them running to attack me, and jumped away from them, crouching against the wall, growling viciously. It looked like someone had cut their power cords or something. They all slumped and stopped in their tracks with looks of extreme sadness, fear, and hurt. It jarred me, stopping my snarls, and I realized I had just acted like a man-eating tiger to my friends. My head dropped in shame as I slowly stood.

Shekinah spoke up calmly. "Perhaps one at a time," she suggested. They all nodded, and Damien was the first to approach. Cautiously, he opened his arms and I opened mine and we hugged each other tightly.

"Sorry, Z," he murmured.

"It's alright. I'm the one who should be sorry," I whispered back, for once managing to stop the tears (barely). Damien stepped back and was replaced by Erin, then Shaunee, then Jack, and finally Stevie Rae.

"Dang is it good to see you, Z," she said. I smiled weakly. She put her hands lightly on my shoulders when we separated. "How you doin'?" She asked sympathetically.

I sighed shakily, looking down for a moment. "I have no idea," I said brilliantly. She smiled understandingly and they all patted my back.

Dragon cleared his throat ominously (did you know throat clearings could be ominous?). "I hate to interrupt, but I feel we should get to council and planning," he said. A blanket of bleakness (ha ha) fell over the room, but we resigned ourselves to the task.

"Where should we start?" Damien asked.

"I think a good place would be with Kalona. Who is he, what is he, and what are his intentions?" Dragon said. Everyone immediately looked to me; it was very weird and uncomfortable.

"Well, according to Grandma, he is for all intents and purposes a fallen angel who once enslaved the Cherokee a thousand years ago. In order to stop him, a council of wise women created a girl from the earth, meant to be perfect, in order to trap him. The earth girl was named A-ya, someone Kalona mentioned was a part of me, and she lured him into an underground cave where they trapped him. The Raven Mockers, those creepy bird-men are his Nephilim kids, half 'angel'-half human, whom he sired when he," I almost choked on the ugly word, but gulped back the knot, "raped Cherokee maidens.

"A prophecy foretold of his return; that it would be planned by," again I had to force my mouth to say it, "Neferet, Stevie Rae's blood would bring him from the earth, and then he would rule the world. But it looks like it won't be him ruling the world so much as Neferet destroying it. He only spoke to me briefly, just before you guys rescued me."

"What did he say?" Lenobia pressed.

I made a decisive choice to leave out the bit about Neferet breaking me. "Just that he had seen glimpses of the future, where I'm supposed to be the legendary hero who saved the world and brought harmony between vampyres and humans."

"Sounds like there's a 'however' in that statement," Anastasia said. They looked at me expectantly. I had to look away, and I could feel fear and shame rising in my chest. How was I supposed to tell them without saying that Neferet broke me? I don't know why, but I didn't want anyone to know what he said or what I felt like on that table.

Aphrodite put a steady hand on my shoulder, sending me calm, encouraging feelings through the imprint. _It's okay, Zoey. No one will judge you._

I gulped again and looked up to face the very harsh music. "He said… he didn't think it would happen now because… because of what Neferet did to me." There I said it.

Cliché? Perhaps, but you could cut the atmosphere in the room with a knife. No one seemed to know what to say, so we just stood there awkwardly. I felt another stirring in the back of my mind, very, very brief, promising to make me not care about what happened to me. I shook my head roughly to clear it, earning several strange looks.

"Well, I say we not jump to conclusions about the future," Anastasia said briskly. "Is there anything else we should know?"

My gaze flitted to Shekinah, who met it with a nod. She turned to the others while I promptly hid in Aphrodite's shoulder.

"There is one more thing you should be told," she started, calm and cool. "I know everyone has seen how evil and twisted Neferet has become; also how Zoey has been acting most recently. There is one answer to both of those questions, and you won't like it.

"Every living being has two sides you see, a light and a dark, that carries their best and worst qualities. There is no escaping having a dark side; it is something we must all live with. But Zoey and Neferet have… a much harder time fighting the dark ghost within. Neferet succumbed years ago, and Zoey is now forced to do battle with her beast for control of her soul."

"But Zoey's only been like that recently," Erin said, confused.

"So what changed that her dark side is acting up now?" Shaunee finished. Aphrodite rubbed my back comfortingly, making low, soothing sounds, and I realized I was shaking against her.

Shekinah was quiet for a moment, but continued in a resigned tone. "Neferet's torture has awoken Zoey's beast."

Again, the silence was cut-able. I hid further to avoid any looks thrown my way. I didn't want to see their shock, or their disgust; I couldn't bear their pity. So I didn't see when another set of arms wrapped around me partially. I looked up to meet Stevie Rae's loving gaze.

"Beast or no, this is still Zoey," she said vehemently, firmly. She looked at me with an expression that would've kept a bigger person quiet. "You're still Zoey," she said. "And Zoey never gives up without one heck of a fight with all of us by her side. We're gonna beat this 'beast', Z, together. We're not leaving you alone, so no one's giving up here. Got me?"

Oh great, I was crying again. Aphrodite calmly stepped away and I grabbed Stevie Rae. She held me easily, and when I couldn't see, gestured for the others to get in on a group hug. They encased me in their arms, and for a brief moment, I felt safe again. I felt better knowing I had my friends by my side.


	25. Chapter 24

**Hey guys. I didn't greet you at the beginning of my first chapter, so here. If you paid attention to the username, you know I am moonstruckgirl. Iamabotticelli has given me the privilege of continuing her awesome story What We Are. I hope I can fill her shoes. Please tell me what you think of my version. Good or bad, I can take it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 24: Heath

Zoey POV

After the meeting ended, I wiped away the newest tears and followed my friends and the red fledglings to the "kitchen" where the snacks were.

"So we have p.b. and j., bologna, and processed American cheese slices." Jack said the "processed American cheese slices" part like he was reluctantly offering us worms and mud. "And my personal gourmet _Top Chef_ concoction: mayonnaise, peanut butter, and lettuce on wheat bread."

"Okay, Jack. Nasty," Shaunee said.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Erin said.

"Gay white boy is weird," Kramisha said, snagging one of the bologna and cheese sandwiches.

Jack looked mortally offended. "I think they're good, and you guys should try things before you disrespect them."

"I'll try one of them," said Shannoncompton sweetly.

"Thanks." Jack grinned and handed her a sandwich wrapped in a paper towel.

There was the rustling of a lot of paper as all of us crowded into the kitchen, grabbed sandwiches, and passed bags of chips around. I was surprised to see the amount of food and chips and brown pop (yea for brown pop!). It made a weird, surreal mixture with the bottles of wine and bags of blood that were being shared. I leaned against the far wall with Aphrodite, munching quietly on Doritos and drinking Dr. Pepper. For a second, with the normal sounds of kids eating and talking, it was easy to imagine that we were just in a kind of ratty building at the House of Night and forget that we were in a tunnel under the city and that all of our lives were in the process of never being the same. For a second, we were nothing but a group of kids, some friends, some not, and we were just hanging out together.

Somehow, our cats and Duchess all managed to get in on the "party" too, because Nala soon wrapped herself on my shoulders and yelled at me right in my ear. Duchess went to Jack, wagging her tail and waiting for food, making her look even cuter. It made me smile, a real smile, one that had Aphrodite leaning over and giving me a quick kiss. That made me smile even more.

"Aw, don't stop," Johnny B said, giving us a puppy dog look. "That was really hot."

We all erupted into laughter; it felt good to really laugh. We started chatting easily until I remembered something else. I smacked my palm to my forehead (lightly, cuz boy does it hurt). "I have to call Sister Mary Angela and check on how Grandma's doing."

"There's no signal down here," Dallas said.

Dread filled me. I really didn't want to go upstairs again. I wanted hide down here for the rest of my life. But I had to know if they were okay. Aphrodite put her arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple.

"We'll go with you, Zoey. You won't be alone," she said, and then glared at our friends.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Damien said. "We'll be right there with you, Z." The others nodded vigorously.

We started down the tunnels, everyone but Stevie Rae and the red fledglings, who had been sent to tell the professors where we were going. It wasn't long before Shekinah and Dragon were walking behind us quietly, topping off what felt like a funeral entourage.

Once we got out of the tunnels, my eyes instantly scanned the dark building for signs of danger. My nostrils flared as I sniffed the air (wait, what?), but I couldn't smell anything off. So I pulled out my phone and dialed.

"Oh, Zoey! I'm so glad you called," said Sister Mary Angela.

"Sister, are you okay? Is Grandma?"

"She's fine… all fine. We're…" She was definitely breaking up.

"Sister, I can't hear you very well. Where are you? Is Grandma conscious?"

"Grand… is conscious. We're under the abbey, but…" There was static and then suddenly I could hear her clearly. "Are you influencing the weather, Zoey?"

"Me? No! What about Grandma? Are you safe in the abbey basement?"

"…fine. Not to worry, we…"

And the line went dead.

"Hell! This connection sucks!" I paced a short path of frustration while I tried to call her back. "Hell!"

"What did she say?" Aphrodite asked, touching my less bruised cheek soothingly.

"Not much, 'cause I lost the connection and can't get it back. But I did manage to hear her say that she's okay and Grandma's okay. I think she's finally conscious."

"That's really good news! Don't worry; everything's going to be fine. The nuns have your grandma safe underground, right?"

I nodded, fighting back stupid tears of frustration and fear. I completely trusted Sister Mary Angela, so if she said Grandma was okay, then I believed her. "It's hard not knowing what's going on out there." I jerked my thumb at the outside world.

Aphrodite hugged me. "We'll get through this. Nyx is at work here, remember? Just look at those pretty new tattoos on your palms. They're proof that you're in her favor. Yeah, our group is small, but we're strong and we know we're on the right side." I nodded, more to myself, and she kissed my forehead gently.

"Well, let's just get back inside now," I said. They all nodded and we started moving when…

"Hey, is that you, Zo?"

I spun around in shock to find Heath coming through the door and walking towards us. Dragon leapt into action immediately, standing in front of us with Shekinah next to him, eyeing Heath like his worst enemy. Heath of course, didn't recognize that they might kill him if he came any closer, so I broke free from the group and started towards him. "Just hold off, guys." I said, mainly to Shekinah and Dragon. I turned back to Heath. "Heath, what are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, Zo," he said, jogging to us. "With all this batshit crazy weather and the gang violence going down, I needed to make sure you were okay." When he reached us and could see us better, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Fucking hell, Zoey, what happened?" He reached out a hand to touch my face, but I stepped away. I wasn't ready to deal with his touch, with most people's touches. He looked hurt, but it gave way to anger. "Who did it? I'll beat the shit out of 'em. Tell me who it was, Zo?" He looked at Dragon. "Was it you? I swear to god, vamp, if it was, I'll stake you." He started advancing, but I pushed him back hastily.

"No, no!" I said quickly, getting between them. "It wasn't Dragon, Heath, so lay off the macho."

He un-puffed himself, but didn't look any calmer. "Who did it, Zoey? Tell me," he said quietly, pleadingly. How was I supposed to tell him?

Not so luckily, I never got the chance because a Raven Mocker burst through the window.


	26. Chapter 25

**Okay, you guys have given me feedback, and I love you all for it. John, you said I should have more Aphrodite. I hope you are satisfied with these two chapters. Not so much in this first one, I think, but don't skip it because it's important. Reviews are welcomed and rewarded with cookies!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own House of Night. It's probably a good thing too, because I have too many whacked out ideas to keep from entirely derailing a good series. Sigh. But total derailment is what fan fiction is for.**

Chapter 25: It Hurts

Zoey POV

Everything happened in slow motion. The Raven Mocker crashed through the window and headed straight for Heath and me, claws unhooking for the kill. I had only a brief split second, so I pushed Heath out of the way just in time for the Raven Mocker to hit me instead. It didn't hurt any when his claws ripped into my chest; just like I could feel pressure and something be tugged. The blow spun me around so I faced the monster as it landed. Its red eyes looked at me with horror.

"No!" It screeched, an inhuman sound. "They want you alive!"

"Zoey! Oh, god, Zoey! Get behind me!" Heath yelled as he scrambled to his feet, but he slipped on the floor that had somehow turned a wet red.

"Wind, come to me!" I shouted, or at least, thought I did. What came out was barely a whisper. "Keep that thing on the ground!" A lovely mini-tornado bombarded the Mocker, leaving his wings useless. Arms, warm arms were around me, holding me up, which was good because I think I would've fallen over otherwise. I looked up to see Aphrodite staring back at me, tears of terror pouring down her face.

"Zoey! Shit, Zoey!" Heath was suddenly beside us, also crying, and wrapping his arms around me too. I looked around to see Dragon and Shekinah circling the Raven Mocker, waiting to strike while my friends swarmed behind us.

"Fire, I need you," I said. Heat was there, warm and comforting. I raised my hand, but was jarred for a second to see it covered in blood. Huh, is that what's all over the pavement? I got over it and pointed to the Raven Mocker. "Burn it up," I said. Fire obeyed, and the wind vortex became a twister straight from Hell. The Mocker screamed horrendously, but was ash in minutes.

I thanked the elements, and before I realized what was going on, I was being carried back into the tunnels. It made me kinda concerned, in a detached, only vaguely interested way. Next, I was on a cold table with obnoxious lights glaring. Wait, cold table? _**Nooo!**_ I instantly started struggling, thrashing to break free of the oddly flesh-like chains. No, oh dear sweet Nyx, no, not again! I twisted and jerked, crying out, but Neferet's homemade bindings of darkness held me down.

"She's panicking. Everyone, help us hold her still," someone said. No! No, please, not again!

"Please," I cried out, big fat tears pouring down my face. "Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything, just please don't hurt me again!"

"Zoey, Zoey!" Hands touched my face, Neferet's hands. No, she was going to make the darkness hurt me inside again! I writhed, but the hands were persistent. "Zoey, it's me, Aphrodite! Shh, it's us, your friends. Stop struggling! We're here to help you, not hurt you! Zoey!"

Aphrodite? Aphrodite was here? Why was she here? Oh god, don't tell me Neferet got her too! And OH DEAR GODS, the pain had started. My chest felt like it was ripped open! I screamed, begging any force that would listen to make it stop.

**I'm listening, Zoey.**

The Beast promptly toppled me, filling me with rage and hate and _power_. I fought harder than ever, a primal roar/scream tearing from my throat.

"The Beast is trying to take over!" Someone yelled. I snarled at the obnoxious noise. A strong hand grabbed me by the throat and slammed me back to the table. Oh they were so going to pay for that. "In the name of Nyx and the mighty Black Bull, I command you to sleep, unholy Beast! In the name of Good, I command you to release this child from your grasp! Leave!"

A powerful crushing force fell upon me, slowly trying to push me out. Oh no, I'm not going down that easily. Who did this chick think I was, some childish little demon? I hissed and pushed back with a surge of dark energy. The hand on my throat started to sizzle and smoke, but it held firm. The soon-to-dead person continued chanting their pointless little mantra, and the penetrating force grew stronger and more insistent. Soon, it overwhelmed my wall of power and fury, shoving me into darkness. Fine, they'd win this time, but this was far from over.

"Fine," I snarled, looking at the woman glaring at me and keeping me down with a derisive sneer. "I will retreat for now, little white priestess. But Zoey _will be mine!_ And I'll murder the world when she is." **Farewell for now, Zoey.**

All my strength left me. I collapsed against the table. The hand on my throat softened its death grip. "The Beast has retreated. Only Zoey remains." Another hand touched my chest, pulling a weak cry of pain from me. "Hush now, my child. Your suffering is almost over," the woman whispered tenderly.

"Please… It hurts," I wheezed, and was promptly and gently shushed. It was around this time that I noticed the gut wrenching agony in my chest was different. Not less, but… different.

"There now, child. Your wound is closed," the woman said softly. "Stay awake a little longer. Just a little longer, Zoey. Aphrodite."

The warm flesh of a wrist was pressed against my mouth. I could smell the sweet, sweet blood, forcing my mouth to open. I tried to resist, but I was so tired. My teeth bit in, I heard a quiet gasp, and then I was drinking. It was like my life force was slowly returning to me with each suck. After a few seconds, I was strong enough to realize two things. One: I was not in a cell in the House of Night being tortured by Neferet. Two: I was drinking from Aphrodite in front of everyone. Shame filled me, and I tried to move away, but Aphrodite held my head in her arm firmly.

_Don't give me that shit, Zoey_, she growled in my head. _If I can handle it so can you_. So I drank and drank. I took notice when her wrist was pulled away, but still didn't have the energy to do something about it. A cup was put to my lips, a cup of straight O negative blood (ew, how did I know that?) I downed it, and it was filled twice more.

"That's plenty," a man said… Dragon. The cup was taken away, and a cool hand brushed sweaty bangs from my forehead.

"Sleep now, dearest Zoey. Sink into the embrace of Morpheus," that woman, Shekinah, crooned. Like a light, I was out.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Blame and a Pep Talk

Zoey POV

I slept deeply and blissfully without any dreams. When I was dragged into consciousness, I found myself back in the bed I shared with Aphrodite. She had been holding me loosely, but drastically tightened her hold when she saw me waking up.

"Hey there," she whispered tenderly.

"Hi," I croaked. Wow, my voice sounded nasty. I cleared my throat. I opened my mouth to speak again, but her lips took the opportunity. I once again marveled at the softness of the kiss, so different from the ones I've had with guys and so much better. It was a caress of her mouth against mine, and it soothed me like nothing else. I sighed contentedly when it ended, snuggling closer to her.

We held each other for god knows how long before reality came to burst our bubble. "What's happened since I've been, well, out of it?" I asked quietly. She let out a long, resigned sigh and started running her fingers up and down my arm.

"After you totally zonked out, Shekinah had Dragon and a couple of the red freaks carry you and me here. I slept for about nine hours before waking up starving. I went to the kitchen and grossly wolfed down two sandwiches, Fritos, and a Red Bull before debating whether to find the others or get back to you. Much as I wanted to go back, I needed to know what was going on, so I went and found them in the living room. They said that Neferet," she kissed me when I winced at that name, "had sent a message to everyone's phones like a school-wide text broadcast telling us to come back to the House of Night. Like hell were we doing that, so we ignored it and began talking about how to deal with all the shit that's been happening. We didn't get very far when your ex demanded we tell him, en quote 'What the fuck is going on? This shit is too fucked up for words.' Everyone else wanted to know too. We decided that probably wasn't the best idea while you were still in a proverbial coma, so he's sulking and fuming somewhere down here."

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, concerned.

"About 20 hours," she said matter-of-factly. I blanched.

"_20_? I slept for _20 hours_?" I squealed. She nodded. "Well, hell!"

"But it's good you did. It let your wound heal some more," she said.

At my blank look, she rolled her eyes and pointed to my chest. "Remember, Zoey? The gaping wound that piece-of-shit-mother-fucking-bird-bastard gave you." She held her finger just above my flesh and traced a long line with a grimace. "Maybe you don't remember, but it was bad, _really_ bad. That thing just about cut you in two. It was amazing that Shekinah was able to heal it so quickly. That is, after we fought the Beast, who thought it was a convenient time to pounce and take control of your body." She stopped talking then to pull me close to stop my intense shaking.

"I remember," I choked, hiding my face in my shame. "I was just so scared. I thought I was back with _that woman_ so I panicked, and the Beast took advantage of the weakness. I hurt Shekinah; I burned her hand, and oh Goddess I remember wanting to kill her! I remember wanting to kill everybody, destroy the world. Oh god!" I was sobbing again. She pulled me tight, shushing me and soothing me while the storm passed.

"It's okay now, Zoey. Shekinah kicked that fucking monster's ass. It's just you right now," she said when my tears slowed. She pressed her forehead to mine. "It's just you and me."

I think we were there for another hour before it occurred to us that the others were waiting. We dragged ourselves out of bed and I noticed again that I had been washed and changed. Aphrodite put her arms around me from behind.

"Yes, I washed and dressed you again. No, I'm not going to run for the metaphorical hills. So deal with it." She said the last part like a Victorian teacher again. It made me smile weakly, and she smiled in return.

We walked close together with her arm around my waist. My legs were a little bit wobbly despite all my sleep, so we stopped and grabbed a blood baggie from the kitchen that I drained in about fifteen seconds. I could hear the others in the living room, so we wobbled there.

Jack, or should I say Duchess, was the first to see us, because she ran to us, wagging her tail and sniffing us for treats. "Jack, please keep your mutt under control," Aphrodite said, but I knew she didn't mean it. I rubbed the goofy dog's head.

"Aw, don't listen to her, Duchess," I said, smiling when Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"How ya feeling, Z?" Jack asked.

"Better," I said as I was lead to a seat next to Damien, who put his arm around me and squeezed me. "Definitely better."

"Good to hear," the others chorused. It looked like Shekinah was about to say something when the red fledglings entered, followed by Heath. He looked at me carefully, checking to see if I was alright.

"You alright, Zo?" He asked, only sounding the slightest bit tipsy. I nodded and gave him a tiny grin. He turned to the others, particularly Shekinah. "So, do we get answers now or what?"

I stiffened, remembering most of them didn't know the full extent of what happened to me, not even my friends. Shekinah patted my shoulder soothingly before looking back at Heath.

"Very well," she said calmly. "But you will not like what you hear. Neferet abducted, tortured, and raped Zoey. It was all in an effort to awaken the dark ghost that rests in Zoey's soul, and also to serve Neferet's sick desire for her. As a result, the beast within is awake and active, trying to take Zoey over. When the Raven Mocker wounded her, the chaos and trauma caused her to panic and think she was still in Neferet's grasp. The fear and pain allowed the beast to take hold of her before being shut away. That is what you saw when we brought her in. The beast is subdued for the time being, but that won't last."

Jack fell off the couch, unconscious. Duchess licked his face and Damien frantically picked him up. Damien himself looked like he was about to snot cry, the twins looked about to follow him, Stevie Rae looked so miserably sad, and Heath looked like someone had bitch slapped him with a crowbar. Kramisha and several other red fledglings looked a little sick, and the teachers suddenly looked older and weaker.

No one knew what to say, and I wanted to run and get as far away from them and their reactions as possible. That didn't make any sense. They were all sad _for me_, but I still wanted to curl up and hide. Aphrodite felt this through the imprint and gently but firmly kept me in my seat.

Heath fell to his knees before me, tears running down his face. "Oh god. Oh, shit, Zoey," he whispered. He shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "I can't believe I was such a jerk to you. If I had had any clue…"

"Stop," I whispered. No, this I could not take. I could not handle it if any of them blamed themselves. "Please, all of you, don't for a second think you had anything to do with this."

"But Zoey," Erin started.

"If we had gone with you—," Shaunee tried, but I cut her off.

"If any of you had gone with me, Neferet would've just hurt you and used you to coerce me. She might've even killed you. I thank Nyx that I was the only one hurt," I said passionately.

"The only one to blame is that whore bitch Neferet," Aphrodite growled. "She and Kalona caused this; it's not our fault. We just have to fight back now and not let it happen again."

"Agreed," Lenobia said firmly. She stepped forward with her authoritative air on turbo. "In all my years as a vampyre and as a fledgling, never have I met a group of people stronger than you all. I've seen you rise and I've seen you fall, some I've seen at your worst and your best. But through all that, never have any of you lost your will or your devotion to Nyx. Dark forces haunt your steps, but you fight them bravely, where most would hide or succumb. No one is perfect, no one can be everywhere at once, but when the blows rain down, you can survive. You can win. Remember that."

I nodded, and my eyes met those of my favorite professor. She smiled at me, a strong confident smile that I returned.

Yes, we could win this fight. And, Beast or no, fallen angel or no, we will.

**Good? Bad? Meh? TELL ME!**


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Letting it out

Zoey POV

With Lenobia's inspiring words running through our minds, the meeting came to a close, and we left. Shekinah suggested that I eat something, so we went to the kitchen. I finally reluctantly tried one of Jack's concoctions, and was surprised to find that it wasn't half bad. It wouldn't be my first choice, but good enough. I chugged two cans of pop and bam good as new. Aphrodite carefully sipped her bottle of Fuze, sitting on our bed. We watched each other, just watched in silence.

Until she got fed up. "Okay, one of us is going to have to stop staring or I'm gonna get creeped out." I snickered and looked absentmindedly around the room. My eyes stopped on the mirror atop the vanity. After my last experience with a mirror, I promptly went and took it down. Aphrodite watched me confusedly as I tucked it under the bed.

"I don't care for mirrors much anymore," I said darkly. She nodded understandingly, set her drink down, and pulled me onto the bed with her.

"Well, you have a reason, so I won't express how badly that's going to backfire on you," she said, earning a chuckle from me. She was serious again in a flash, reminding me of bipolar people. She touched my face. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything?"

I snorted halfheartedly. "I thought that was obvious, considering we're imprinted."

_Yes, dork, but just in case you're blind and can't see the obvious, I'm here. I'll always be here_, she said in my mind.

It was just a bit much. I pulled away guiltily, but I had to move. Already my thoughts were straying to those memories, that nightmare world. I got out of the bed and put a hand against the wall, using the cold sturdiness of the tunnel wall to help squeeze out these _feelings_. Aphrodite was right behind me, spooning me from behind, her nose in my hair. _See that_, she said. _You're scared, and you don't know what to do. You think you have to be the strong, unbendable Zoey Redbird, leader of the fight between good and evil and all that crap. But this is me, Zoey. It doesn't have to always be good and fine. This is our room. You don't have to be brave. I'll still love you._

Ugh, she was making it really difficult to repress stuff and hate myself like I should. She chuckled momentarily at that. _I can feel you, Zoey. It's all building up inside, the fear, the hurt, the shame. It's only gonna hurt worse the longer you keep it locked away. You'll get a fucking tumor from it. So let it out. I feel you; I feel your need to just let it all come out. Let it out_.

I shook my head. "Other people might hear," I protested weakly, but I was already breaking. She held me tighter. _So tell me in your mind_, she said.

And I did.

Like a dam break, the words and feelings and memories just poured out of me to her through the imprint. I told her exactly how Neferet had hurt me, how painful it was, how I was so afraid. I told how I was broken, emotionless on that stone slab, my entire world consumed until there was nothing left but agony. I told her how I loathed the beast inside me, how scared of it I was, how terrified I was of failing and going bad. I told her how inadequate I felt, how I didn't feel worthy of my power or my friends or my responsibilities. She held me tight the whole time.

I cried. She cried. I broke down into snot-filled sobs. So did she. But I let it out. I let it all out. I could feel nothing but sheer relief that it was no longer eating me up inside. We lay on our bed, warm and safe under the covers, and I was so relieved.

"See," she whispered with a teary smile. "See how much better it feels to let it all out." I nodded and curled into her as a fresh wave of tears overtook me. "I've got you, Zoey. You're mine, and I'm gonna take care of you. And if anyone tries to take you from me, I'll beat them to death with a shovel."


	29. Chapter 28

**Sorry it's been a while. But here you are. And I have an important question, so please give me answers: Do you guys want a Zoey/Aphrodite lemon? I need to know if I should add one or not. And Zelda's Hero, I will do my best to fit in some Stevie Rae/Venus time, but I might not have it in this story. It might become a separate one shot or something.**

**Disclaimer: Must I repeat it? No ownership.**

Chapter 28: Get to the abbey!

Zoey POV

After that good long cry, we just lay on the bed, whispering sweet nothings and kissing softly. Every kiss felt like a balm to my battered and beaten up soul. When there was a lull in our loving murmurs, Aphrodite started tracing the tattoos on my face with old fascination.

"They're just so beautiful," she said when I gave her a look. "So intricate and dark; royal. You are what real royalty should be." I snorted at that, but she was insistent. "Remember who you're talking to, dork. I was 'raised'," she put air quotes around the word, "by people who thought they were royal. People who got where they were through trickery, games-playing, and brownnosing; they thought they were akin to royalty, all those stuck-up bastards and bitches. I grew up thinking I had to act like them to get anything good, to be 'royal'. Clearly, we were all wrong. You're the one who's royal, Zoey. Maybe you're not rich and you're only 17 and sometimes you can be a real dork, but you're better than all of us put together. I wish I could walk up to my parents, give you a smacking kiss on the mouth right in front of them, and tell who the real leaders are; I wish I could tell them royalty is earned through kindness, bravery, and heart instead of bribery, propaganda spouting, and coldness."

"You aren't cold," I protested. She held up a hand.

"I used to be," she said. "I used to be the third coldest bitch on the earth, after Neferet and my mom of course. I still am cold; sometimes I'm a real fucking bitch. But you've made me realize that I don't have to be. You brought out the kindness in me, the vulnerability and innocence I didn't think I had. You've been partially responsible for ruining my life, but you saved me from what a false life it was. I can't thank you enough, so in return, I'm going to love you and take care of you. I'm going to protect you and caress you and hold you in the night. I'll wait forever for you, and I'll stand on hot coals while disgusting carnival clowns do my makeup for you. I promise you that, Zoey. I promise you the world."

Wow.

Just wow. I stared at her, replaying the words she'd pulled straight from her heart. I wanted to say something, something profound that would convey just how much I was touched and how much I loved her too, but I couldn't find my voice. So I crushed our lips together, hoping and praying that the intensity will get across to her what I can't say. I took her by surprise, but she moaned and deepened it. Her tongue slipped past my lips and began exploring my mouth. I yielded for a couple minutes before taking her mouth myself. We dueled for dominance, both with our tongues and our bodies. I wound up on top of her, and the fiery tongue kisses became gentle, warm strokes. When we separated, both of us were dazed. She traced my significantly plumper lips with her thumb.

"I take it you feel the same," she said, her tantalizing, talented, freaking irresistible mouth quirked up at the corner.

"Hell yeah," I said breathlessly. I'm sure we would've kept kissing if Dallas didn't come bursting through the door at that moment.

"We have to leave! Now!" He shouted, before running out, yelling down the hall. We jumped into action immediately. We ran to the living room to find it empty, but when we looked behind us, half of our friends and the red fledglings were following.

Dragon appeared on the ladder to the tunnel. "A swarm of Raven Mockers are surrounding the building. We have to get to a safer location before they get down here. Red fledglings, you need to seal the tunnel and get to the abbey. Can you do that?" The red fledglings nodded vigorously and all but Stevie Rae ran down the tunnel.

"I got this, Z," she said to me with a confident grin. "I'll see you at the abbey." Then she ran and Dragon was up the ladder again. We were hot on his tail. They had pulled the SUV inside and everyone was already piling in. Problem was, there was one too many of us to fit.

I saw what I had to do. I grabbed Aphrodite and pushed her inside. I shut the door and Lenobia looked at me like I was crazy. "Get in, Lenobia. I'm going topside." I scrambled on top of the car, and Lenobia shot me a pleading look. Whatever she was about to say was cut off because a Raven Mocker chose that moment to bust through the window.

Thinking on my feet, I shouted "Fire! Come to me!" The heat engulfed me and I flung it at the birdman. He screamed and fell to the floor, completely consumed by the flames. The car jerked and squealed as it went from 0 to 60. I held on for dear life as it burst through a set of double doors and onto the street. We were almost immediately swarmed by birdmen. They grabbed and yanked at me, but I held on and sent what equaled a sonic repulsion with fire. A chorus of inhuman shrieks tore up my eardrums as they hit the ground, some already piles of feathers and bones. I didn't have time to marvel at the sudden expertise I wielded over the elements because other Raven Mockers were quick to replace their dead.

I was throwing balls of fire left and right while trying to stay on top of the car. The winged freaks kept coming, following the car that was speeding as much as possible without sliding on the ice. I'm sure we got to the abbey in record time, but it felt like forever to me. Neither I nor the car reached the abbey unscathed. I had shallow and deep scratches all down my arms, a few on my face and chest and the car was dented up and the paint was damaged and a window or two was broken. But we got there. The remaining Raven Mockers flew and paced around the edges, unable to step onto sacred ground. I was so exhausted that I pretty much fell off the car when we stopped inside the abbey grounds. Ow with a capital OW! Aphrodite shrieked in a way similar to the birdmen as she crouched beside me.

"I, I don't know where to touch. Zoey, you fucking idiot! Why the fuck did you climb on top of the fucking car? Fuck! You could've been killed!" She continued to yell similar things while I tried and failed to sit up.

"Had to keep you guys safe," I wheezed. "Couldn't let those freaks get you."

Shekinah was at my other side as if out of nowhere. Hell, she was Nyx's highest of High Priestesses. I had no clue about the extent of her power. "Come, Aphrodite. Help me get her up. We can all yell at her for her stupidity inside." Wow, that's a little harsh, eh? Yeah I got a few cuts, but it's better than one of my friends getting killed. They got me carefully to my feet and helped me hobble inside. Ow again, I was pretty sure my ankle was wickedly twisted. The nuns were surprisingly calm seeing us ragged, disheveled and bloodstained lot stumbling through their doors. They quickly cleared a space for me to lie on the table. Their very clean and old table.

"No, guys. It's just a couple of scratches, I'm fine," I whined weakly, trying to stop our progression to the table in vain. "No, I don't want to get the table dirty."

"Zoey, shut the fuck up," Aphrodite growled. The others seconded her sentiment and I felt betrayed.

"Zoey, is that you?" In moments, Sister Mary Angela came through the door. She took one look at me, let out a yelp, and rushed forward to help them get me onto the table. She grabbed one leg while Damien grabbed the other. They hauled me right onto some of my deepest cuts, eliciting an unwilling whimper from me.

"Zoey! Oh my Goddess!" Oh great, what else can go wrong? I turned my head to find Grandma rolling towards us as fast as her wheelchair would take her. "In the name of Nyx, what has happened here?"

"Zoey decided to be an idiot, Grandma. She climbed onto the roof of the car while we were driving here and started tossing fireballs randomly to fend off the Raven Mockers," Aphrodite told her.

"What! By the Goddess, Zoey, I'm very disappointed in you. What on earth were you thinking?" She snapped at me.

Okay, this whole gang-up-and-guilt-trip-Zoey thing was getting old. "Guys, I did it to protect you. Who knows what the Raven Mockers would've done if I hadn't been using fire to fend them off? They could've attacked from the front and made Dragon crash. I couldn't let you guys get hurt because the Raven Mockers were after me; I'd never be able to forgive myself." Aphrodite sobbed and put her face in her hands.

"Zoey, you're such a fucking martyr! Sorry Sisters, Grandma, for the language. But shit, Zoey, protecting us doesn't mean do something so fucking stupid that you end up like this. Do you have any idea how fucked you'd be if Shekinah wasn't here to heal you?"

"I agree," Grandma said. "There's a difference between being brave and being brainless."

"Yeah, yeah," I said dismissively, leaning back against the table. "A few scars; a little pain, what's the big deal? It's nothing new."

Shekinah sighed in exasperation. "_Merda_, just clear away so I can heal her."

Aphrodite looked at the High Priestess in shock. "Wow, never ever did I think I'd ever hear you swear," she said in awe. My brows lowered in confusion, but I let it go.

"What in the world is all the commotion?"

Well, _that_ was unexpected. My eyes bulged as I watched _**my mother**_ come into the room, followed by my _**brother**_, my _**sister**_, and John.

"Well, hell," I said.


	30. Important AN

**Guys, you're not answering my question. Do you want a Zoey/Aphrodite sex scene? I need written (typed) confirmation.**


	31. Second Important AN

**Hey, folks! Sorry, no update today, but there will be as soon as I get my computer back from repair. The chapter's finished, my laptop's just being a dick. I should have it back in the next couple days hopefully. Sorry it's taken a while but thank you all for answering my question. With a unanimous answer too! Zoey and Aphrodite will have a lemon in an upcoming chapter. **

**But I'm not saying which.**


	32. Chapter 29

**So, my laptop is back, but it's limping along to its imminent death. I'll miss it, but I need computers that function. Here's chap 29. Family confrontations! Dun dun duh!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 29: Family Matters

Zoey POV

My mom looked around the room in annoyance, and after a second or two her gaze fell on me. She screamed really loudly. "Zoey, oh my god!" She leapt to my side, looking scared out of her mind, tears forming in her eyes. "What, what happened? Where did you get all these cuts and slashes?! Oh god, my baby girl, you look like someone threw you in a wood chipper!"

"Close enough," I croaked.

"Sis!" Both my brother and sister yelped, also coming to my side. Wow, they were actually scared and concerned, not just faking it. I took note that John did not join them.

"Hey guys," I said weakly.

"Mrs. Redbird," Shekinah said quietly but very authoritatively. "Please calm down, and take her hand, please." My mom looked taken aback, so much so that she didn't react to being called Redbird, but she obeyed. My sister reached to touch my forehead, but hesitated like she didn't want to hurt me. Kevin had tears running down his face freely, staring at me in horror.

Shekinah began a healing incantation. "In the name of the Goddess Nyx, heal the wounds of this child of Night." She looked to my friends. "Summon your elements and send them to help Zoey heal faster."

They all sprang into action, calling their elements and forwarding them to me. I should've seen it coming, but the step-loser chose that very moment to rudely interrupt.

"Now wait just a minute. She needs a doctor's help, not some filthy, pointless, pagan rite," he sneered. A vicious snarl was about to rip free from me when my sister snapped back.

"Go fuck yourself, John. If it can help, I say let it help," she growled. John looked too shocked to respond, and it allowed the ritual to continue. Shekinah repeated her mantra once more, and I could feel the wounds closing. The irritating pain subsided, and I let out a relieved sigh.

My family stared down at my, once ripped up, now faintly marred, flesh in shock. I moved to sit up and no one stopped me, so I took the opportunity to grin smugly at John. "Pointless pagan rite, eh?"

I was proud to see a couple of my friends snicker at my comment. I swung my legs off the table and tested them. A little jelly-ish, but Aphrodite promptly wrapped her arm around me to keep me from falling. I looked to my family, my Grandma, and the nuns with a resigned expression. "I suppose that there are stories that need to be told, yes?"

"There most certainly are, young lady," Grandma said with a glare. She rolled over to the stool I flopped down on and took my hand. "I've been feeling such awful feelings from you, my u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. Tell me what has happened." Her voice was soft now, and she looked at me lovingly.

Tears filled my eyes at the sight. Damn it, when would I stop crying? I drew a shaky breath. "Really cruddy things, Grandma. Really, really cruddy."

"Take a breath, my daughter," she said. "Collect your thoughts." I took several breaths, each steadier than the last, and thought about how much I wanted to share in present company.

"Neferet summoned Kalona, Grandma. They're currently still at the House of Night planning god knows what against us. We retreated to the tunnels under the city, and have been there for a couple days. One night, Neferet found us, and lured me into a trap. She," I had to pause, cursing this weakness in me. "She hurt me, Grandma. A lot; in ways I can't bring myself to say. And she did something to me, something that's released _il fantasma oscuro_ in me."

"The dark ghost," Grandma said grimly, nodding. She touched my face, and for once I didn't flinch. "Oh, child, I can see how she has harmed you. The pain in your eyes tells the story better than words. I'm so sorry you had to suffer that."

"Suffer what?" My sister asked, my family flocking closer. Grandma looked back at them and then at me. She was asking me if I wished them to know. I looked at my family, and they collectively drew a breath at whatever they saw. Did they see the feeling of deadness that filled me? Hell, I could see no way out now.

"Just get it over with," I said, my voice hoarse. I moved off the stool, away from them, leaning against the wall. Grandma's look was pained and sad, but she turned to my family, who were still waiting for an answer.

"Zoey was raped," she said. I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't understand why I couldn't face anyone's reactions, but I couldn't fight the impulse. I heard their gasps, an unidentified cry, and what sounded like the nuns invoking the Virgin Mary. I turned away, facing the stone wall, trying not to start shaking again.

There was a scuffle of feet, and someone touched my arm. No, no touching. I quickly backed away, opening my eyes to see my mother looking hurt. I shook my head fiercely to rid myself of the traitorous tears. Aphrodite beamed love and peace to me through the bond. It helped, but not enough for me to move. My mom did it for me, coming to stand before me, but she didn't try to touch me again.

"Zoey, baby girl," she whispered. For the first time in years, she seemed to really care about _me_. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I can't believe this has happened to you; it's killing me. Who is this Neferet person? Why did they dare hurt you?"

"She _was_ our High Priestess," Damien said. "But she turned away from Nyx, became evil, and hurt Zoey to try and get her to turn evil too. She tortured Zoey and… well, you know… and would've have kept hurting her if we hadn't gotten her out of there. Since then, Neferet's been sending things to attack time and time again. Those slashes and cuts Zoey had were from the Raven Mockers, demon like creatures she sent after us when we were trying to escape here."

"Okay, but what is that il fantastic thing Zoey mentioned?" Kelsey asked.

"Il fantasma oscuro," I repeated. "Translated it means 'the dark ghost'. It's the living embodiment of evil; a beast. It lives inside each of us, is responsible for our worst qualities. Like a ghost, it haunts us, usually no stronger than an instinct or a feeling in the back of the mind or a flicker in the corner of the eye. But Neferet did something that has strengthened the beast inside me, giving it the ability to fight for control of my soul. It's pure evil, and it wants the worst, so I have to fight it constantly and keep it subdued with the help of Shekinah," I explained, gesturing to the woman in question.

"That's completely preposterous," John whined from his space, but glares all around silenced him.

"No, perfectly logical and extremely dangerous," Grandma said. She looked at me again. "I know a few things about fighting the beast within. There are herbs and rituals I can teach you to keep it down."

I nodded and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Grandma. You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"By herbs and rituals, do you mean those of the Cherokee?" Shekinah asked. Grandma appraised her for a moment, approved, and nodded. Shekinah smiled slightly. "The Cherokee were strongly connected to the earth's magic and the machine of nature; a wise people learned in the art of healing. I do not doubt the potential of your offer."

"Nor I your power, Priestess Shekinah," Grandma said. Oh boy, they were giving off strong connection vibes.

"So what now?" My sister asked at the time as Kevin wiped the tears from his eyes and yawned.

"Now, you guys should try and get some sleep. You look exhausted," I said. They looked about to argue, but I gave them a look that quelled them.

"Okay. We'll see you in the morning," Mom said. My family left in a sullen group. Grandma carefully reached out and touched my hand. I smiled weakly at her and entwined our fingers together.

"I'm afraid I am getting very tired too, daughter. I will see you tomorrow night. And never fear, you are not alone," she said. Then she rolled away.

Silence fell over the rest of us. But Aphrodite, bless her heart, broke it nicely. "Okay, people. Here's the dealio. Our little escape from those nasty tunnels has left all of us dirty, sweaty and in need to serious washing." She looked to the nuns. "Sisters, do you have some showers we could borrow?"

"Of course," Sister Mary Angela said. "Sister Bianca will show you the way."

"You guys go first," Aphrodite said. I looked at her strangely, but she gave me a mental shush. The others looked to each other, seeing who would go first. After a minute or two, the Twins stepped forward and followed Sister Bianca. Aphrodite pulled my head to her shoulder.

_What was that about?_ I asked.

_You'll see_, she said simply.

**It would have looked bad if I just kept writing "my sister" whenever she comes up, so Zoey's sis will be named Kelsey. No lemon just yet. All in due time**.


	33. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Cleansing

Zoey POV

The showering process was long. Every now and then we had to wait for the hot water to refresh, though the professors and Shekinah insisted that they would take cold showers to save water for everyone else. The nuns went to bed, and everyone went to explore the abbey after they were done in the shower, leaving me still leaning against Aphrodite. Aphrodite purposefully postponed our shower so we'd have enough hot water, despite me saying that it wasn't necessary. When she finally pulled me to my feet, I began to realize something very important. We were going to shower together.

My nerves only grew in intensity with each step closer to the bathroom. Aphrodite pulled me along by my hand, not answering my mental protests. The bathroom was really quite nice, if a tiny bit small. Aphrodite shut and locked the door, and then stood before me. Uh oh.

We stared at each other, and a silent mental battle ensued. As usual, I lost. She reached for the buttons of my tattered shirt, but I moved away slightly. She sighed. "Fine. Would it be better if I went first?" I didn't answer, but she did it anyway. Slowly, watching me the whole time, she started undressing. She took off her shirt, revealing her beautiful, ample chest, firm stomach and black lace bra. Holding my gaze, she unhooked her bra clasp, and it fell away. Her breasts were beautiful and pale, rounded with pale pink nipples. It made my chest ache, but I couldn't look away. She moved to her pants, slowly pushing her jeans down her long, shaved legs and kicking them the rest of the way off. She put her hands on her panties. I must have made a sound of some sort, because she said, "Remember, Zoey. This is me, only me." And the panties fell away. I definitely made a sound now, a low whine. Her center was as pale as the rest of her and covered by a shiny-looking patch of golden hair. I looked up to see her watching me cautiously still.

She stepped forward one more, putting her fingers on the first button. When I didn't resist, couldn't, she unbuttoned the blouse one by one, watching me the whole time. When all the buttons were free, she brushed it lightly off my shoulders, and it fell to the ground. She fingered my bra clasp, and gently undid it. With my top half completely bare, she took a brief moment to feast her eyes. I didn't know how I felt about the attention; I wanted to turn away, but her commandingly soft voice stopped me again. _Don't hide from me, Zoey. You're so beautiful_. I whimpered, and she crooned to me, a low, comforting note. She moved to my jeans, kneeling to pull them down my legs and picking my feet up to get them totally off. She finally reached for my panties, an old pair with little red hearts decorating it. Her blue gaze pierced me once more as she slowly pulled them down and off.

Now, at last, both of us were naked, laid bare. I was openly shivering. She turned on the water and tested it for temperature. Then she took my hand again and led me into the warm rain. I couldn't look at her anymore, so I turned to face the nozzle, closing my eyes and allowing the water to hit my face. Her arms wrapped around me; she pressed her warm, soft breasts against my shoulder blades and her center against my butt. "So tense," she murmured, pressing her lips to my shoulder. "Relax, Zoey. You've been hit by a lot of shit, and it's made you so stressed and scared. You need this, a nice hot shower to wash away this tightness, this pain I can sense beneath your soft skin. Water's an element of healing. Call it to you; and spirit too. Ah, there they are; good, good. Feel them stroking you, darling. Feel them inside you, warming you up and easing the stiffness from you. Good, good, Zoey." I had no idea how she was doing it, but I could feel it all melting away, leaving just me, her, water, and spirit. The elements curled and twisted in my gut, filling me with the happy feeling you get when warm rain hits in summer. "Now feel me, feel how I'm holding you. I'm holding you like this, touching you like this, because I love you. I love you, and I promised to take care of you and keep you safe. I know I've been doing a crappy job, but I'm here now. You're safe _now_, right here with me. You can let go _now_."

She didn't have to say more. It was gradual, but I felt all my stress, along with all my energy, disappear, with only Aphrodite holding me up. "There you go, darling," she whispered. She turned off the water, thanked the elements and hauled me out of the shower. She dried off the both of us and dressed both of us in the night clothes a nun must have left. I don't know if maybe I started to cry, but she crooned to me again. "We have to go back out, dork," she said with a grin. "No doubt the others are just falling apart because we've been gone for twenty minutes." I snorted, but let her pull me to my feet.

We found them in the nun's living room with the red fledglings. Stevie Rae hugged me tightly and reassured me that the tunnels were safely sealed by earth. Then she went back to watching the movie (not-so-coincidently next to Venus; the awesome gay love is contagious) that was on. And, wow, what do ya know? The movie was _The Sound of Music_. To avoid glares from those watching with rapt attention, I only snickered quietly, and saw Aphrodite roll her eyes adorably.

So we sat with our friends on the couch and watched Maria and the Von Trapp kids singing about their favorite things.

**Want to know some of my favorite things, Zoey?**

In an instant, my thoughts were consumed by images of the most horrible things. I saw myself strangling a baby in its crib, the bodies of its parents shredded on the floor. I saw people inside a huge building that was collapsing on top of them. I saw thousands of civilians being mowed down by a barrage of gunfire and tanks. Entire cities blown to bits, the ground collapsing from under a massive swarm of people, random slaughter… Hell, when would this end?!

"Hey, she don't look good," I heard Kramisha say. I put my head in my hands, digging my nails in my face and willing the visions to cease. "Crap," I growled under my breath. I again tried to counter the images with happy ones from my own, but damn the Beast was persistent. Then the images just stopped, and I was alone in my head. Son of a dog, it was playing with me! I understood its game now. It would toy with me from the shadows, sadistically pushing me to insanity and striking every time I was weak. The thought gave me a fraction of comfort; if I knew the Beast's game, I could prepare myself to fight it. I took a deep breath and looked up from my hands. They were all watching me cautiously, and I could feel Aphrodite and Shekinah's hands on my shoulders. I gave them all a halfhearted reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, guys. Just some bad thoughts," I said. Nobody looked like they believed me, but they did turn back to the movie. _Okay, you've fooled them_, Aphrodite said. _Now tell me what really happened._

_It's toying with me, teasing me with flashes of really evil, creepy as hell stuff_, I said. _It wants me to slowly lose it, drag out its victory._

_What fucking victory?_ She growled. _If you're listening in, you fucking beast, then listen good. You will never have her. She is stronger than you could ever be. What's more, she has us to stand by her. You won't win this._

**So naïve**, the Beast sighed. I wondered if Aphrodite heard it, and from the way she stiffened, she certainly did.

_No, not naïve_, she responded. _Inexperienced, maybe, but we're not fucking children. This isn't our first rodeo, to quote the bumpkin, and it isn't the first time our lives have been fucked up beyond belief. So bring it, Casper!_

**I will enjoy killing you**, the Beast growled. For a second, I thought it was insulted by her calling it Casper. **I've said it once, I'll say it again: I can wait lifetimes for my chance. I've never lost, so it's only a matter of time. And when I win, you die.**

_Good luck with that_, I said smugly. _You may have always been with me, but do you have any idea how hard it's gonna be to kill someone like Aphrodite? You're out of your league there, buddy._

**Then I'll look forward to the challenge. See you soon, children.** I know it called us children just to piss off Aphrodite. And then it was gone. I let out a fierce sigh of relief, and looked up at Aphrodite. Darn, she looked really hot! Her pretty face was flushed with irritation, her blue eyes full of fire and her red lips slightly curled up in a sneer.

_You just verbally took on the Beast_, I whispered in awe. She looked down and smiled like she was queen of the whole freaking world.

_Of course I did, dork_, she said. I smiled adoringly at her, and she returned it shyly.

"Okay, you two are weirding us out," Kramisha said, annoyed. We looked around to find we had the group's attention again. Shekinah had a knowing grin on her face. Aphrodite and I glanced at each other, smiling at our little secret.

"We just like looking at each other," I drawled. They rolled their eyes hilariously and returned to the movie once more.


	34. Chapter 31

**Alright, guys! Here you go.**

Chapter 31: Sketchbooks and Sleep Talk

Aphrodite POV **(Switching it up a bit)**

Our energy vanished in coordination with the sunrise. The red fledglings had left a little while ago to go to the abbey basement to avoid the sun. The early-waking nuns directed us to spare bedrooms throughout the maze-like building. I was out not long after I hit the surprisingly soft pillows. My last feeling was of Zoey curling up against me.

Unfortunately, I didn't stay asleep. I was jolted awake, fear and adrenaline pumping through me through the imprint. Immediately, I rolled over to find Zoey thrashing about, sweating bucket after gross bucket and crying out in what could only be interpreted as pain. I sat up and grabbed her arms, hoping to shake her awake, but she screamed and jerked away.

Shit, this was not good. "Zoey," I hissed. "Zoey, wake up! It's me, Aphrodite." I grabbed her shoulders and vigorously shook her, repeating the same words. She stopped struggling after a minute, and then her eyes flew open. She looked at me like she didn't know who I was, but in a moment my face registered.

"Aphrodite?" She whispered tremulously. I nodded and brushed her sweaty bangs from her hair. I could see the remnants of a terrifying nightmare in her dark brown depths, and it chilled me to the bone.

"Yeah, it's me. Just me," I whispered back, kissing her on the forehead; her sweat was strangely salty and sweet on my lips.

"Where are we?" She whispered, her voice croaky.

"In the abbey," I said calmly. "With the nuns and your Grandma, remember?" She nodded, looking away and grimacing. I brought her close to me again, ignoring her clammy skin. "You had a nightmare," I said, stating the obvious. She nodded again, but wouldn't elaborate. I expected as much, so I sifted through her most recent memories until I found it. Despite the fact that I saw it coming, it still scared the shit out of me. I saw Neferet in her full evil bitch-whore glory roughly grinding her hips down on Zoey, who was chained down with heated manacles over a slab of black ice. Zoey was covered in viciously, vividly red cuts and gashes, no doubt made by Neferet's nails.

"That's right, cry like a pathetic little bitch," Neferet moaned in response to Zoey's pleading sobs. The evil fucking demon raised her hand, which had awful looking bands of darkness wrapping around it, and shoved it into Zoey. Zoey's screams ripped apart the "air" of the dream, causing Neferet to moan and sink her fangs into her neck when she climaxed.

Hate unmatched by anything I've ever felt before filled me to the brim. I pulled Zoey's head against my chest, calming myself by knowing she was safe now. Her tears hit my skin like drops of rain. Taking a chance, I drew in a deep breath and whispered. "Spirit, come to me."

Spirit came, filling me with elation and giddiness. I smiled in the dark, so very grateful that the element answered my call. _Go to Zoey_, I said in my mind. I heard Zoey's sharp breath, followed by a trembling sigh. She relaxed against me as spirit filled her with peace and swept her fear away.

"Thank you," she murmured. I kissed the top of her head lovingly.

"Of course," I said.

There was a knock at the door. "Is everything alright? We heard a scream," Sister Mary Angela called. Fending off my annoyance, I answered politely and honestly.

"We're fine, Sister. Just a bad dream." Zoey shuddered when I said bad dream, but I ignored it. I could hear the nun utter a quick blessing to keep nightmares away before leaving. I looked back at my girl, ready to keep comforting her, but she was already out cold again. I decided against going to sleep too, choosing to stay awake to be on nightmare watch. The clock said it was noon, and I groaned. This was going to be a long day.

I found a way to pass the time (yeah right). I paced, I fidgeted, I actually twiddled my thumbs like a loser. Eventually I settled on sketching in a notebook I found in a drawer. I was a good sketch artist, one of the best at the school, but I never told anyone. My "parents" thought drawing was a waste of time, so I did it behind their backs. I wish I had my sketchbook from the tunnels; it had all my most recent drawings, all of Zoey really. I'd been filling it for weeks, covering its pages with every beautiful image of Zoey I'd had, be it from a dream, a fantasy (of which there were many) or from real life. Needless to say, there were probably 50 out of the 500 pages free. This little 100 page one might be enough to last me until I got the other back, but I wasn't hopeful.

Before I met Zoey, I mainly used my sketching to help me understand my visions. Even when I wasn't telling anyone about them, drawing what I'd seen had been a great comfort. In my free time, when I wasn't being the bitch queen of the universe, I would draw random things. I think I still have a really old drawing of the tree by the east wall somewhere in my dorm room. It was all stuff around the school, like the buildings, the yard, the temple. When I first saw Zoey, I didn't think anything of it, other than to be jealous of her. As time passed, and I got to see what a great girl she was from the perspective of the outsider looking in, I started just drawing parts of her (don't jump to conclusions; I'm not that big a perv). I never drew her whole face, just her smile or her tattoos and stuff. But even that went away with time and here I am now.

I started simple, drawing the smile that made my insides get warm and needy. Just above it, the strong, straight nose that flared when it scented my blood and got me excited at the thought. Then, the perfectly sculpted jaw and intricately carved ears that I wanted to kiss and lick every time I saw them. I finished off the outline of the head and drew the long slender neck that attracted my lips like an electromagnet. Next, the dark, silky hair that I just loved running my fingers through. It flowed gracefully around her, as if there was a light breeze. Next, the delicate, dark eyebrows that looked so good against her skin. Zoey always complained how being in the House of Night left her unable to get them waxed and threaded often so she had to resort to painful tweezers. I knew, thick or thin, she had very elegant eyebrows. Next, the tricky area around the eyes that had to be just right. Following that, the elegant, intricate, infinitely beautiful tattoos that framed her face and fascinated me to no end. I'd drawn them so many times that I knew them from memory, and sketched them with ease. Finally, the crowning jewels; her deep, dark eyes and dark lashes that made me feel like I was swimming in a pool of Swiss designer chocolate with sprinkles of mint when I looked into them.

There she was, my angelic Zoey. She was so perfect and sweet and adorably dorky. She'd melt the cockles of any heart that didn't belong to someone like Neferet or her stepfather. I'd wanted her from the first time I really saw her. Like the empty-headed whore I was then, I twisted it and managed to foster hate and anger towards her. Like a bitch, I was jealous, and I wanted what I couldn't have. But she forgave me; she, such a foolish little ball of perfection, welcomed me and tolerated me at my worst despite what I'd done. She was so kind and giving, sometimes doing infuriatingly dumb things for the sake of being good.

My thoughts took a dark turn there. Yes, she was so outrageously good. She didn't deserve any of the shit that had happened to her, none of it. She didn't even deserve all the crap with Queen Erik of the Pompous Fuck-heads. What she deserved was to grow up, make the change, become the best damn High Priestess that ever lived, marry someone just as good, and then go to eternal rest with Nyx. She deserved a big, loving family free of step-losers, a nice wife or husband (since it was very clear she swung both ways), and a life free of the knowledge of what it was like to be raped and tortured and heartbroken.

"Aphrodite." I looked up in surprise, thinking she'd awoken and seen me, but she just rolled over in the bed, her arms feeling for the body that wasn't beside her. She talked in her sleep too (that's so cute!). Who knew? "Aphrodite," she repeated, restlessly searching for me. I set the notebook down and climbed back into bed. When she rolled again and her arms flopped onto me, a happy little grin tugged at her lips. She wriggled up against me, and I was happy to reciprocate. "Aphrodite," she sighed. "Mine." I felt a shit-eating grin plaster across my face. Hell yeah I was hers. And she was mine.

The hours passed almost unnoticed to me then. I was consumed by watching Zoey sleep, her occasional murmured declarations of love. When the clock turned 7 pm, her eyelids fluttered, and those sleepy hazel orbs hypnotized me again.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hi," I breathed back. She giggled mischievously.

"You look high," she said.

"Well, that is your fault, you unbelievable dork," I said back. She laughed before leaning in to give me one hell of a good morning kiss. Her eyes locked on my lips when we separated, as if debating whether she wanted another. I was really super glad she seemed to be okay with kissing, if nothing more intimate yet. She was apprehensive about showering together, but that turned out to be a good experience for both of us. If anything good at all, my parents taught me patience. I can be very, very patient when I want something, especially for her. We'd work out the bugs and rough spots together, every night if necessary. We'd repeat the shower ritual until that was no longer a problem. We'd endure the nightmares until they faded. We'd kiss and touch each other with growing intimacy until she was ready for the final step. It was a bittersweet life ahead of us, but I looked forward to it anyway.

"I can actually hear your mind ticking away in your head," she said, watching me with amusement. "Careful, Aphrodite darling, don't think too much in one sitting." She snickered when I smacked her lightly.

"Fine," I said, a plan forming in my head. "Now you won't get your present."

She immediately perked up and looked at me. "Present?" She said in the most adorable manner. I schooled my features and nodded. "Pleeeaaassseee," she said, climbing over me slightly and giving me puppy eyes. But little did she know, I'd had a lot of practice with puppy eyes and was almost immune. I ignored the fact that hers were the most powerful I've been accosted by thus far.

"Nope," I said, popping the P. "If you're going to be mean, then no presents for you." I crossed my arms impressively, laying it on thick, and looked away with my nose turned up.

She groaned and flopped on her back looking so fucking cute and stepping up her game. "Pretty, pretty please with cherry _glaze_ on top."

I pretended to consider it. "Hmm. Where would this cherry glaze be?" Oh, boy, that was a delightfully sinful image.

She smiled widely. "Anywhere ya want."

"Mmm, no," I said, holding back my smirk at her shocked and crestfallen look.

She groaned again and tossed her head onto my belly. "Will you give me my present if I apologize really super nicely?" Again with those eyes. I grinned smugly and shook my head. She started getting annoyed and it only upped her cuteness level. "Why not?" She demanded.

"You didn't promise cherry glaze _and_ an apology," I said, almost cracking up and her dumbfounded look. She quickly recovered, slid on top of me, and touched our foreheads together.

"Please, pretty, pretty pleeaassee with cherry glaze on top give me my present after I apologize really nicely."

"We're not getting any younger," I said. She glared at me.

"I'm very, super sorry I was mean to you, Aphrodite," she said begrudgingly. I smiled in victory and kissed her pout away.

"Come on, my adorable little dork, let's get your present." I rolled her off and sat up. I went and grabbed the notebook where it was laying open to the picture I had finished. To be safe, I didn't tear it out of the notebook. I was suddenly very nervous about showing it to her. Stupid, insecure questions started firing in my head. Was it good enough? Would she like it? Did I get all the details right?

"Aphrodite," she whined impatiently. I grinned briefly and then handed it to her. She was confused at first, but when she realized who it was, she stilled. Through the imprint, I could feel shock, recognition, awe, and finally love radiating from her. I bit my lip and played with my fingers waiting for her to speak. "Aphrodite," she breathed. "Did, did you draw this?"

I cleared my throat so it wouldn't sound gross. "Yeah, I did it while you were asleep."

"Oh my god," she whispered, utterly overcome. "It, it's so good. There's so much detail."

"I draw what I see," I said simply. I grinned slightly. "I readily admit that what I care to see is mainly you."

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh, Aphrodite, why me? Not that I'm not insanely flattered, but there's a lot more beautiful stuff than me out there."

_Zoey_, I thought, shaking my head. _You're such a modest little lovable nerd_. "No, there really isn't."

"This is too pretty to be me," she said shyly. I shook my head again, coming to stand before her.

"That is you," I insisted softly. "That's my favorite thing to draw; your face when it's lit up with that smile, like you've seen a beautiful meadow or someone you really love. I've been drawing it for weeks, after I saw you look at the nerd herd that way. Since then, the thing I've wanted most of all is to see you look at me that way, turn that big bucket of dorky love on me. When you were with Erik and Loren and Heath, I didn't think it was possible for anyone to really love me, especially not someone so freakishly good as you. I still have no fucking clue what I did to deserve your love, but I plan to earn it; every day, for the rest of my life."

"You're gonna make me cry again with all this mushy stuff," she said, her lip quivering.

"Sorry," I said with a weak smile. "Just telling the truth." She set the notebook down reverently, and pulled me against her. She pressed those trained lips to mine and I forgot everything else. Shit, I wouldn't be surprised if she made me forget my own name.

We melted against one another, our kisses passionate but gentle. Each one just blended into the next. We only stopped for air and when we did we took turns showering each other's flesh with lingering pecks. I pulled her closer, my hand moving of its own accord. It slid down her back and around to her stomach, stroking the exposed skin where her shirt hitched up. Then it strayed a little lower, then down the front of her thigh.

She froze, breaking the kiss and looking at me nervously. I blushed and looked down guiltily, putting my hand behind my back. "I, I'm sorry," I whispered. "I wasn't, I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything."

"Yeah… yeah, um," she said, backing away from me. She looked to the door anxiously. "I'm just gonna, you know, get something to eat and, uh, talk to Grandma."

Oh god, what have I done? She started moving to the door hurriedly. No, I had to make this right. "Zoey—"

"It's fine. Really," she said, but a blind retard could tell she was lying. "I, I just need some air." Then she was out the door, her rushing footsteps fading down the hall. I collapsed onto the bed, suddenly too weak to stay standing.

What do I do now?

**I know, I know. No lemon and more angsty stuff. Just relax. I've got it covered.**

**Hope you liked how I wrote Aphrodite's thoughts.**


	35. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Over the Edge

Aphrodite POV

_Shit, shit, shit, shit_, **SHIT!** **MOTHERFUCKING HORSE SHIT!** I was pacing back and forth in mine and Zoey's bedroom. It had been only five minutes since she'd run from me. Damn it all to Hell! How could I have been so fucking stupid?! I cursed the wretched tears that threatened to fall, and a broken sob escaped me. I hurt her. I hurt Zoey. I wasn't thinking for one second and I scared her. Oh god, what do I do now? What if she doesn't forgive me? What if she wants to break it off, break the imprint? No, I can't live without her. I won't survive the agony breaking the imprint would cause.

But I deserved it. By the gods, I deserved it for scaring her and turning that beautiful intimate moment into an involuntary trigger of the most painful memories of her life.

I wanted to find her, feel her through the imprint, but I didn't want her to think I was becoming some crazy stalker. So now I had to wait until she decided when she wanted the torture to end.

Another five minutes passed when suddenly there was a loud crash outside followed by an all too familiar roar. Goddess, forget feeling for her, rage and hate and all manner of badness was radiating off her like a fucking nuclear bomb site. I burst out the door and ran down the hall. Damn this fucking mazelike abbey. By the time I got to the scene, the rage was topped off by beastliness. What I found just about scared me shitless. Zoey was there, eyes pitch black, holding the step-loser against the wall by his throat, sneering and snapping ferociously. The stupid human choked and glared at her, saying something I couldn't hear that made Zoey roar again and toss him into the nuns' living room, busting a chair to pieces on impact.

Fuck! When did Zoey get that fucking strong?! Even full-grown vamps weren't that strong.

What happened next was even scarier. A shudder passed through Zoey, growls ripping from her clenched teeth, and then she just about threw herself into the wall. Clutching her head and snarling, she writhed against the cozy gold flowers wallpaper, like she couldn't control her body or something. Which she couldn't, I remembered. I could feel the Beast in its full evil glory in control of Zoey, hence the black eyes and murderous intentions. But there was something else, something that was stopping it from continuing its rampage.

Shit! Of course, it was so obvious! The Beast _wasn't_ in full control, and Zoey was giving it one hell of a hair pulling, nail clawing, ear biting fight.

Shit, what do I do? As I watched this, the others arrived behind me and from the living room, and they also seemed to be too terrified to do anything.

"Give up, Zoey." That voice; that gut-wrenching, blood freezing voice. It was Zoey, but it wasn't. It was too cold, too angry, and too damn bitchy to be Zoey; the voice of Il Fantasma. "You want him dead just as much as I do. I can feel it in you every time you're reminded of your family, of his ugly little red face. Give in, and we'll kill him together."

"No!" She whipped around, again slamming into the wall. "No! I won't let anyone die by yours, mine, or our hands." That was Zoey's voice, angry still, but full of other emotions that the Beast lacked. Everyone else looked just as scared and confused, if not more so, as me.

"Why not?" Beast again. "He's one pathetic little mortal bigot. Your world will be better without him. Come on, Zoey, stop being weak. Isn't that your goal, make the world a better place free of bigotry?" Cocky fucker; it was taunting her.

"Maybe, but I know it's not just bigoted jerks you want to kill. So thanks for the offer, but GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!" Zoey again. The two, trapped in one body, turned to the wall and punched a wicked hole through it. Or maybe that was just Zoey.

Beast: (sighs) We've been through this, Zoey. We are each other. I cannot live without you, and you cannot live without me. We are one.

Zoey: (growls) Maybe, but I'll be damned if I let you live our life for us. We may be one, but in that, we are two very different things.

Shekinah: (trying to grab them) Foul ghost, you dare manifest in this place of sacred worship!

Beast: (hissing) Yes, a place of worship soon to be wiped from existence. There won't be enough ashes to bury when I'm through.

Various nuns: (praying unintelligibly)

Grandma: (calm?) Treacherous rabbit, Trickster god, Dark chief, my u-do. This is my blessing to you. May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly on your home and the Great Spirit bless all who enter there.

Beast: (looking piss-your-pants-and-run-screaming-like-a-little-girl scary) Silence, Cherokee woman!

Grandma: (calm as ever, smiling slightly) May your moccasins make happy tracks in many snows. And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder.

Beast: (lethal smile) I'll bathe her in your blood! (Lunges.)

And with that, Grandma threw some nifty looking, sweet smelling powder onto Zoey/Beast. The moment it hit their skin, the Beast let out an agonized scream that belonged to no sane person. It twisted and writhed harder than ever, busting the wall again in some places. It fell to its knees, to the ground, and with a final bloodcurdling scream… was simply gone.

Zoey became limp on the floor and an oppressive silence fell over the rest of us. I saw Shekinah heave a sigh of relief and send a smile to Grandma, who returned it and tucked a little deerskin pouch back into her jacket pocket. Ignoring them as just another damn mystery, I rushed to Zoey and knelt down. Tentatively, I reached out and touched her cheek.

As if I turned her power switch on again, her once again brown eyes flew open and fell upon my throat. She sat up almost too fast to see and sank her fangs into my flesh. I bit back the really loud and erotic moan that wanted to burst free from me so neither of us was embarrassed later. Fighting the delicious haze of pleasure in order to concentrate, I noticed several really important things. One: Zoey was not trying to hurt me. She was feeding to calm herself down. Two: The others (bunch of idiots) didn't recognize that and were coming forward to stop her. And three: if they stopped her, they wouldn't have hands for much longer.

So I hastily spoke up, hoping my voice didn't sound like I was in the middle of starring in a porno. "No, don't stop her," I barked at Shekinah, Dragon, and for some reason Sister Mary Angela. "She's not hurting me; she's just trying to calm down."

They reluctantly backed off, and I went back to the girl who had wormed her way on top of me. I touched her silky hair soothingly and waited for her to finish. After a couple more seconds, she disengaged from my sore artery and licked the wound to close it. She looked at me, dazedly at first, but I was just glad it was her. Soon enough, realization shown and she rolled off of me. I sat up and shook my head was banish the remaining sex fog.

"Are you just you right now?" I asked her. She shut her eyes in a grimace, but nodded. _Yes_.

"Good." _Come on, let's get you up_.

_Aphrodite?_

_Yeah?_

_I'm really sorry._

I held back my stupid fucking tears. _I'm the one who should apologize. I scared you. But it's all okay now. Right?_

_Right._

The others parted so I could take Zoey to the couch. The step-loser had been removed, but pieces of the chair were still rolling on the floor. The rest of her family were basically cowering the corner, her sister crying silently. I was getting a strong sense that they had something to do with this too, but I decided it was something to settle later. Zoey clung tightly to me on the little loveseat. I kissed the top of her head lovingly and waited from someone to say something.

"That was too dang close," Kramisha said eloquently; I held back from rolling my eyes.

"Indeed," Shekinah said darkly. She spied Zoey's family and zeroed in on them. "Could one of you explain what happened that was so upsetting to Zoey that the Beast nearly killed that fool?"

They looked at each other, but then her sister tremulously raised her hand. "W-well, Zoey came in here about ten minutes ago, looking upset. Sister Mary Angela gave her a can of brown pop and she leaned against the wall to calm down. We let her be since it was obvious she needed space, but John kept glaring at her from the table." I winced when she mentioned how upset Zoey seemed. The girl in question placed a comforting kiss on my neck that no one else saw. "After a couple minutes, she s-seemed better. She smiled at us and took a seat next to me…."

"And?" Shekinah pressed. Zoey's sister looked guilty, but she knew not to disobey a clearly pissed-off vamp woman.

"Well, I, I asked her some things and she answered and what she said made John angry. He said some really out of line stuff and Zoey started getting really mad. Mom tried to shut him up, but he wouldn't listen. Zoey tried to leave; made it into that hallway but John grabbed her wrist and jerked her back. He said more stuff and then her eyes turned black. She grabbed his head and bashed it into a little statuette on the mini-table. He hit the ground and she started kicking the crap out of him. Mom and I tried to pull her off before she killed him, but she threw us off. Then she took him by the throat and slammed him into the wall. Then you all showed up."

"What did you ask her?" Grandma said, putting a comforting hand on her arm. Zoey's sister (didn't Zoey call her Kelsey?) looked even guiltier and sheepish, but Shekinah clapped her hands to make her get to it.

"Well I, I asked her if she and that blonde girl over there were dating and she said yes. I asked her if it was going okay, she said yes. The last thing I asked was if she liked girls better than boys. She said yes and that was when John interfered.

"Let me guess, with anti-gay, bible-thumping crap, right?" I looked at Shaunee in surprise. Well, maybe there was hope for the nerd herd after all.

"Yeah, all that gay-people-are-unnatural-spawns-of-the-devil bull?" Erin chimed right on cue.

Kelsey nodded vigorously. "Not just that though. A bunch of stuff about vampyres being evil, soulless monsters, insulting your Goddess and what not. And then there was this shit about how foolish and unintelligent women were, that they were silly and couldn't survive without men around to tell them what to do. At that point, Mom and I were pissed, but Zoey looked like she was going to tear John's throat out if he said another word. She got up and tried to leave then, not even saying anything, but he grabbed her wrist and kept shouting at her. Even tried to slap her, spouting this crap about expelling the demons possessing her and that's when she lost it."

Shekinah sighed resignedly. "Very well," she muttered. She looked at Zoey and me. "Well, at least we now know you can fight or at least hold the Beast at bay. That's very good news." Zoey nodded, eyes lowered. "I suggest keeping John Heffer as far from Zoey as possible. We quieted the ghost for now, but it may attack again if she sees him."

"We could lock him outside," I growled. "Maybe he could get rid of the Raven Mockers by spouting that shit so they get annoyed and leave."

Our friends and the red fledglings snickered, and, though I couldn't be sure, I thought I saw Lenobia and Anastasia crack brief smirks.

"We can move him to a separate room on the other side of the chapel," Sister Mary Angela said, still with that eternal calm I was coming to envy.

"If that's the best offer, let's take it," Damien said. I gazed at him and Jack appraisingly. They looked… sad. Or rather Damien looked sad, and Jack looked vulnerable and sweet and hurt. It made me wonder how they felt about John saying anti-gay stuff. I'd heard Damien's parents were also big with the pedophilic fuckers at the People of Faith, so maybe he was more used to it than Jack was. Zoey felt my concern for them and smirked against my shoulder when no one was looking.

_Going soft, darling?_

I let out a mental snort. _No. I just understand how they feel now_.

_Mmhmm_, she said, smiling, and I elbowed her good-naturedly.


End file.
